Kiir fails to buy luxurious private jet at $3.5 billion – source
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit disembarking from a commercial plane (Photo: Supplied)
January 28th, 2020 (SSNN)—South Sudan President Salva Kiir has reportedly failed to purchase an expensive presidential plane worth $ 3.5 billion owing to an ongoing cash crunch in the country, according to a senior government official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“Since August 2019, the office of the President has been trying to purchase a $ 3.5 billion presidential jet, but because of its exorbitant expense and the current challenges in the country – the plan has been put on hold.”
In August last year, South Sudan’s President’s Salva Kiir hinted at purchasing a luxurious plane, to see him join the rest of the world’s leaders who have acquired expensive jets for their official missions.
At the time, the country’s legislators set aside one billion South Sudanese pounds to urgently buy a plane for the president, a move that caused uproar among citizens.
“In the interest and protection of the National Sovereignty, the National Legislature allocated 1 billion ssp to the Ministry of Transport for the immediate purchase/lease of the Jet for the President,” said Honorable David Nailo while presenting the budget for the final reading in Juba.
The proposal was made by the specialized committee on Finance and Economic Planning, suggesting that President Salva Kiir should be bought a plane to facilitate his official missions.
Since the country gained independence in 2011, the President has been flying with foreign commercial planes.
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