Yakani appeals to MPs to address plight of people with disability
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has urged the lawmakers in the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) not to sideline the people living with disabilities as the house plans to pass the budget today.
CEPO argued that the national budget capturing the 2021-2022 fiscal year would only be fair if it allocated some funds to cater to the needs of people with disabilities. He said the ‘‘silence of the national budget in allocating clear funds for addressing the needs of the persons with disabilities will amount to discrimination of the persons with disabilities.’’
‘‘It is state or government obligation to demonstrate how much of the national budget is allocated for meeting the priorities of persons with disabilities. In 2021-2022 national budget it will be a remarkable national government commitment for disability inclusion by showing how much of the national budget is allocated for meeting the needs of persons with disabilities,’’ CEPO said in a press statement signed by its boss Edmund Yakani.
It added: ‘‘It is a time for the national budget to embrace disability inclusion as a sign of commitment to fighting discrimination against people with disabilities. The struggles of people with disabilities are real and human. It is important for our lawmakers to into account matters and priorities of persons with disabilities.’’
On October 3, 2021, the Chairperson of the Specialised Communication Committee at the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Paul Yohanes, confirmed that the Members of Parliament were ready to receive the long-awaited 2021/2022 budget for discussion.
“I want to say that in a while, this legislature will start its parliamentary oversight and scrutiny business, which will commence next week with the reports of two select committees. The first is the select committee to consider the speech of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Sudan, during his address to the nation before the national legislature on August 30, 2021,’’ he said.
“This will be followed by the second select committee, which was tasked to amend and table a new conduct of business regulation 2011 before the national legislature,’’ he added, as he further assured that “thereafter, the long-awaited bill on the 2021/2022 budget will follow in the subsequence weeks’’.
This was after the then Minister of Finance, Athian Ding Athian, tabled the SSP287.04 billion budget, which was passed by the cabinet.
