JUBA, July 13 (Xinhua)--Plans to expand South Sudan's cabinet and parliament could increase the cost of running government activities, derail service provision and delay economic recovery of the war-torn country, experts warned.
Senior economist Marial Awou Yol said though South Sudan desperately needs peace at the moment, the proposal to enlarge the country's interim administration would deprive South Sudanese of much needed resources due to the huge cost required to run the swollen government.
"Under ideal situations, you can't have a government of four vice presidents, 45 ministers and 550 Members of Parliament. Installing the systems in the country means depriving other sectors of resources because you will have an unusual situation," the head of the College of Social and Economic Studies at the University of Juba told Xinhua.
"There will be no sufficient resources for all the services that we need. The resources we have will be used to set up the systems after which the country will run automatically later," Yol told Xinhua in interview.
Peace mediators in the South Sudan conflict last week proposed expansion of the country's unity government in an effort to accommodate several rival groups in the East African nation.
Negotiators from the East African regional bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Government (IGAD), have suggested that the world's youngest nation should have four vice presidents, 45 cabinet ministers and parliament upgraded from 400 to 550 seats to end nearly five years of civil war.
After the rival groups agreed to a security arrangement deal in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on July 6, several opposition groups rejected a proposed power sharing plan unveiled to them in neighboring Uganda, arguing that the proposal centered on accommodating politicians and it would not end the civil war.
Yol said for the country to attain speedy economic recovery, the warring factions should settle for an agreement that tackles corruption, national development and economic revival.
"They should insist on having an agenda that should contain national rebuilding and economic revival then we can hope for things to improve sometime in the future," said Yol.
"The power sharing proposal is not sustainable for South Sudan because the country can't afford to maintain the huge cabinet, parliament and 32 states without addressing the root causes of the war," said James Okuk, lecturer of political science at the University of Juba told Xinhua.
According to the World Bank, South Sudan is the most oil-dependent nation in the world, with oil accounting for almost the totality of exports, and around 60 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).
But after the young nation descended into civil war in late 2013, oil production declined amid soaring inflation. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world
The UN estimates that about four million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally, and at least 6 million people face severe food insecurity.
Khartoum is continuing with mediation efforts spearheaded by IGAD, but the rival parties are yet to agree on a permanent deal.
Jame David Kolok, head of Civil Society Organization, Foundation for Democracy and Accountable Governance, said said under the current peace proposal, South Sudan's resources are going to end within the circles of the parliament, the executive and little will be left for service delivery.
"Clearly we are going to see a full-blatant government that is unable to sustain itself. We are going to see a parliament that will be full of crisis in terms of sitting. A parliament that would just be trying to get allowances in the expenses of the ordinary people," Kolok said.
"It means that huge proportion of money is going to fund people who are going to be very, very unproductive," added Kolok.
