By Louis Loku
South Sudan’s Ministerial High-Level Committee on Economic Reform has recommended a further reduction in fuel prices as part of efforts to stabilise the economy and ease the burden on consumers across the country.
The recommendation was made during the Committee’s 15th regular meeting held on Monday at the Ministry of Finance and Planning and chaired by Pieng Deng Kuol.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the Committee’s Rapporteur, James Mawich, said members discussed the current fuel prices on the market and agreed on the need for further reductions.
He said the committee reviewed and analysed several factors affecting the cost of fuel and proposed strategies aimed at creating what he described as a win-win situation for the government, fuel traders, and consumers.
“The meeting discussed the issue of fuel prices in the market and recommended a further reduction of oil prices to stabilise the economy,” Mawich said.
He added that reducing fuel prices could help lower the cost of transportation and other goods and services, which are often affected by changes in fuel costs.
The Committee also discussed the implementation of the government’s cash policy on tax payments by mobile network operators.
During the meeting, managers of Zain, MTN, and Digitel were summoned to discuss their cooperation in implementing the Committee’s directive requiring telecom companies to pay their taxes in cash.
The Committee directed the operators to ensure that their tax obligations are paid in cash to enable the government to mobilise sufficient revenue for the payment of salaries and the financing of government programmes.
Mawich said the move is intended to strengthen government revenue collection and improve the availability of cash needed to meet public financial obligations.
The Economic Reform Committee has been holding regular meetings to review key economic challenges and recommend measures aimed at improving revenue collection, market stability, and the overall performance of the country’s economy.