James Alic Garang | |
Birth Place: | Ajok Village, Ayat Center, Aweil West County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Sudan |
Alma Mater: | University of Massachusetts University of Utah |
Occupation: | Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, Economist, Banker |
Years Active: | 2009–present |
James Alic Garang is a South Sudanese economist, Chair of Monetary Affairs Committee of the East Africa Community and the current governor of the Bank of South Sudan.[1] He previously served as a Senior Advisor to the Executive Director at the IMF Executive Board in Washington, DC.[2] Garang assumed the office after being appointed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit on October 4, 2023.[3]
Garang was born in Ajok Village, Ayat Center, Aweil West County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State in the present-day Sudan.
After completing high school, Garang relocated to the United States through the Lost Boys of Sudan program.[4] He immediately enrolled at Salt Lake Community College, where he graduated with an Associate Degree in 2003.[5]
In May 2006, he graduated from the University of Utah with honors Degree of Science.[6] In December 2009, he attained a Master of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst,[7] and in May 2014, he attained a PhD in Economics from the same institution.[8]
Garang profession started at the Upper Nile University as an Assistant Professor and Deputy Dean.[9] He worked as an intern for African Development Bank in Tunis, Tunisia between 2009 and 2010.[10] He was also the banking sector's lead evaluator for the Comprehensive Evaluation of the Government of Southern Sudan from 2006-2010.[11] He also worked as a consultant of the Republic of South Sudan (June –August 2011) and World Bank South Sudan Office (2013-2014).
Garang was an advisor to the Executive Director (AfG1 Constituency) of the International Monetary Fund (2017-2021), and Senior Advisor of the IMF Executive Director (AfG1 Constituency) (2021-2023). He also worked as consultant of World Bank South Sudan Office (2013-2014); National Consultant on “Assessing Economic Benefits and Costs of South Sudan Accession to EAC,” Imani Development Ltd, South Africa (2014-2015); Columnist of the Juba Telegraph, and Senior Economist with the Ebony Center for Strategic Studies based in Juba, South Sudan.[12]
Garang is also the founder of the Africa Center for Financial Inclusion, a non-profit institution that promotes inclusive financial system in Africa.[13]
Garang has published in various economic and related disciplines in various journals: