By Lodu William Odiya
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has ordered for the formation of a technical committee for the operationalization of the South Sudan Official Gazette and enhancement of the official website.
This move followed a presidential order which was read on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).
According to the order, the government will form the committees that shall compose of full and designation of Secretary-General, Government of the Republic of South Sudan, Position Chairperson, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Deputy Chairperson Under-Secretary of Information, and Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology and Postal Services, Position Member
“The committee shall also include Director-General, National Communication Authority, Position Member, Press-Secretary, Office of the President, and Head of Legal Administration in the office of the president “the order read.
Furthermore, the committee shall also include Director of Legislation, Gazette, Publication and Printing, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs,
Additionally, Director of Security and Protection, Office of the President, which is mandated to operationalized the Physical Gazette and e-Gazette.
“They shall also establish a sustainable and secure system with encrypted verification features for the regular application of the Constitution and its Amendments, Acts of Parliament, Provisional Orders, Republican Decrees, Slash Orders, Council of Ministers, Resolutions, Ministerial Orders, Regulations and Bylaws, General Government Notices, Legal and Private Notices” the order read.
Additionally, the committee will also integrate security protocols Design a secure end-to-end workflow where original documents from the Central Registry are transcribed into the Gazette using encrypted digital signatures to eliminate the risk of digital manipulation or forgery.
They shall also Enhance the official presidential website by redesigning it to serve as the primary host for the e-Gazette and also public access and protection Create a framework for the formal public notification protocols, ensuring state documents are accessible via a read-only secure interface.
“Address the publication backlog Identify, categorize, and prepare for publication all critical laws and Republican Decrees, or Orders, and Resolutions enacted since 2011 that require immediate gazetting to ensure legal certainty” the order read.
The Committee shall have the power to co-opt technical experts, legal draftsmen, and security consultants as it deems necessary to fulfill its mandate. All government institutions are directed to cooperate fully and provide original documents to the Committee upon request.
According to the order, the committee were directed to complete its technical assessment, workflow design, and resource allocation within 14 days from the date of this order.
Upon completion, the Committee shall submit its final operational report, together with prepared Mayden Edition, Volume 1, of the South Sudan Official Gazette to the Office of the President.
“The President of the Republic shall thereafter formally launch both the Physical Gazette and the e-Gazette portal, as well as the enhanced Presidential website, marking the commencement of the nation’s new Official National Notification Protocol” the order read.