Money Hoarding in South Sudan: Is It Rational Behavior or Policy Failure?
Publication Summary
The recent directive by South Sudan’s Minister of Finance & Planning, urging citizens to report neighbors who keep money at home, has sparked intense debate across economic, political, and social spheres. This article argues that money hoarding in the country is best understood not as criminal behavior but as a rational response to macroeconomic instability, persistent political uncertainty, and the structural fragility of governance institutions. Drawing on data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank, the article traces global and local causes and effects of hoarding, uses basic econometric framing, and proposes evidence-based solutions grounded in sound fiscal and monetary policy.
Bec George Anyak is a researcher with expertise in policy analysis, trade policy, budgeting, business planning, and development strategy. He also serves as a Lecturer of Economics at Upper Nile University, South Sudan. Bec earned his Bachelor of Economics from the University of Nairobi in Kenya and an MSc in Applied Economics from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK. He is current Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, South Sudan. Previously, Bec held senior positions, including as the State Minister of Finance in the now-defunct Eastern Lakes State Government and as a Commissioner for Yirol West County, Lakes State. His extensive experience in both academic and governmental sectors underscores his commitment to improving economic policy and development in South Sudan.