The African Leadership Magazine has recently honoured the Governor of the Central Bank of South Sudan, Hon. Johnny Ohisa Damian as one of the Top 25 African Finance Leaders 2023 in recognition of his leadership and innovative policies that have helped in stabilising the national economy of South Sudan. The Governor was honoured during the African Finance Leaders’ Networking Cocktail, which was held on 13 April 2023 at the National Press Club in Washington DC – USA on the margins of the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Following a motion presented by Representative Rosalyn D. Henderson-Myers and signed by both the speaker and clerk of the South Carolina Representatives, the Governor was also conferred with a special congressional commendation for his efforts in driving economic recovery and stimulating growth in the country.
The African Leadership Magazine’s listing of Top 25 African Finance Leaders 2023 is a special recognition of the outstanding contributions of Africa’s topmost finance leaders for providing the leadership and innovative policies, programs and actions that have helped in stabilising many challenged national economies in Africa, while driving recovery and stimulating growth, even when slow, amidst global economic shocks. The list, which draws from finance ministers, central bank governors, as well as Chief Executives of leading banking, finance and development institutions from across Africa, is a showcase of finance leaders helping in the drive to finance Africa’s development and those who, through strong fiscal and macroeconomic policies have enhanced the national economic outlook and especially supported the growth of small businesses despite the current global economic climate.
Hon. Damian has served in various capacities within the Central Bank of South Sudan from 2019 to 2021, notably as the Director General for Currency and Banking Operations and as the first Deputy Governor and acting Governor before his appointment as Governor of the Central Bank. Before joining the Bank of South Sudan, he was the Deputy Managing Director and later Managing Director (MD) of the International Commercial Bank (ICB-SS). The Governor also worked in various capacities at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Sudan, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In an exclusive interview with the African Leadership Magazine, the Governor of the Central Bank of South Sudan highlighted some of his achievements in office, which include the stoppage in issuing of all overdrafts to the government of South Sudan that has significantly reduced the growth rate of broad money; as well as the introduction and operationalization of the Term Deposit Facility (TDF), an indirect monetary policy tool which is now helping to mop up the excess liquidity in the markets and complement the use of FX that negatively affects the country’s reserves. The Governor also led the bank to the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Finance to operationalize the set up single treasury account in the Bank of South Sudan.
Hon. Damian was honoured alongside the HE Mrs Rindra Rabarinirinarison, Minister of Economic and Finance, Madagascar; and Dr Patrick Ngoroje; and Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya; with the unveiling of the listing of the Top 25 African Finance Leaders 2023.
