South Sudan's parliament approves 600 mln U.S. dollars 2018/19 budget

JUBA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's lawmakers on Monday approved the 2018/19 budget totaling 600 million U.S dollars compared to the previous 300 million dollars 2016/17 budget.

Salvatore Garang Mabiordit, the minister of finance, said non-oil revenue contributed to increase in this year's budget in the wake of oil revenues dwindling due to the more than four years of conflict that affected the oil wells in the northern Unity and Upper Nile regions.

He disclosed that the budget will be largely funded by local revenue since development partners were not forthcoming on their contribution and that payment of salaries of civil servants takes the lion's share of the budget leaving little for capital development.

In a bid to widen the tax base in the non-oil sector, South Sudan established the 2017-2018 Tax Amendment law which helped boost revenue collection.

This development led to the introduction of the Airport departure tax which has since been raised from 20 percent to 30 percent helping to replenish the treasury. South Sudan in May also lifted the fuel subsidies.