Civil society and opposition support government downsizing

In his independence anniversary speech on July 9, president Kiir announced his plans to downsize South Sudan’s government given the country’s tight austerity budget. Kiir said he needs to eliminate positions in the government in order to save money and provide more social services.

The president also acknowledged that his government is larger than others in the region. He said after the shutdown in oil production, which accounted for 98 percent of South Sudan’s revenue, the government has to make dramatic cuts.

As Charlton Doki reports, civil society activists and opposition politicians have welcomed the planned downsizing and are urging president Kiir to quickly implement the cuts: