Rigid gov’t institutions given ultimatum to digitalise by January 2026

JUBA – Government institutions resisting digital transformation have been given until January 2026 to embrace electronic services or risk being left behind as the country accelerates its digitisation agenda.

In a statement released on Thursday by the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, President Salva Kiir issued a Republic Order granting the E-Service Board full authority to digitise all government institutions across the country.

The order effectively removes bureaucratic obstacles that have slowed the rollout of digital systems within parts of the public sector.

The announcement was made public by the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Thomas Gatkuoth Nyak, who also chairs the E-Service Board.

He spoke on Wednesday following an internal evaluation of the board’s achievements in 2025, which assessed progress made in rolling out electronic government services. The event was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Juba.

Gatkuoth said the government would no longer tolerate resistance to digitisation, particularly from institutions that have failed to adopt electronic systems due to what he described as “ignorance and reluctance to change.”

He stressed that the January deadline should be treated as a final window for preparation, capacity building and system integration.

According to the Undersecretary, the introduction of e-services has already yielded significant economic benefits, with the national economy reportedly improving by up to 40 percent since the reforms began. Sudans Post could not independently verify this claim as South Sudan’s economy struggles.

While he did not provide a detailed breakdown of the figures, Gatkuoth attributed the gains to improved efficiency, reduced corruption, faster service delivery and increased transparency in revenue collection.

The E-Service Board has been spearheading efforts to digitise key government functions, including payments, licensing, records management and inter-institutional communication. Officials say these reforms are intended to cut red tape, limit human interference in service provision and bring South Sudan closer to regional and global digital governance standards.

The Republic Order is expected to empower the E-Service Board to directly intervene in institutions that delay or obstruct implementation, including by setting technical standards, coordinating training and overseeing compliance.