Historical Background

The South Sudan Pensions Fund (SSPF) came to existence as one of the public institutions of the newly born country - South Sudan - following independence in 2011. Soon after independence, the Fund was legally established by the Pensions Fund Act (2012).

To operationalize the institution, the first Board was established, and a General Manager was appointed. In 2019, the Board recruited the first General Manager again and established two Departments (i.e., the Department of Operations and the Department of Administration and Finance), followed by the establishment of the Investment Department, which was previously under the Administration and Finance Department.

As the term for the second Board elapsed in March 2019, the Fund remained without a Board until a new Board was established in July 2021, which is currently striving to put in place systems, policies and procedures. As part of this effort, the Board issued a new Investment Policy and Procedure as well as a Procurement Policy and Procedure. The Cash Book (for Accounts) system was put in place while modern systems such as the Pensions Information Management System (PIMS) and the Quick Book - a Financial Management System - are being developed.

SSPF started operation with the remittance from the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry started to cut Pension contribution from 2016 onwards while contributions were supposed to start in 2006. Hence, the Government has arrears from 2006 to 2016. The SSPF is also yet to receive contributions for past service, for employees who served both in Sudan and South Sudan. Even though the Act provides for the participation of Pension Schemes in the Fund, there are no legally established schemes yet. Furthermore, contributions have not been properly remitted to the Fund by public institutions in the central government and the States. Particularly, participation of the states has been almost inexistent except for some efforts by one state.