The devil’s in the detail, but new laws should bring greater transparency to South Sudan’s oil sector

Having passed the much-anticipated Petroleum Act 2012, and with the expectation that it will soon pass the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill 2012, South Sudan’s National Legislative Assembly is putting in place the key legislation to regulate the oil industry and revenue flows. This is much to be welcomed, advocacy group Global Witness said on 29 November as it unveiled a report on oil transparency in the new republic. The “legislation contains strong public reporting, revenue management and contract allocation requirements,” Global Witness campaigner Dana Wilkins said.