By William Madouk
The Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly will resume its sittings today after a three-month break, the house clerk, Makuc Makuc Ngong announced.
According to an announcement letter seen by this outlet, the House has been recalled from recess for its sitting scheduled in the morning hours at Freedom Hall.
“The administration of the Transitional National Legislature has the pleasure to cordially convey to all hon. Members of the legislature that,
“The inauguration of the Transitional National Legislature, is hereby scheduled to take place on Monday, March 27, 2023, at 10:00 AM,” said Ngong in the statement addressed to MPs.
The parliament is expected to put more focus on matters affecting common citizens such as a new salary structure for civil servants and organized forces and to handle a raft bill recently passed by the cabinet.
First Deputy Speaker, Oyet Nathaniel told the media earlier that the House has resolved most of the issues pertaining to the peace agreement and now the focus will shift to those matters affecting South Sudanese.
He added that among the key priorities will be tackling the pay rise for civil servants, organized forces and the army.
“Their salaries will be increased very soon so that we in parliament are not the reason for discrimination against others,” Oyet said.
“We must increase the salaries of people who are working in the ministries, organized forces and the army. We are working on all those. Nobody will be left behind. Lives should also change,” he added.
According to him, South Sudan’s resource envelopes for the fiscal years 2021/22 and 2022/23 have enough funds to change the lives of ordinary citizens.
For his part, Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of TNLA, agreed with Oyet adding that she expects the House to pass the new salary structure as soon as it is brought into the house.
Among the bills awaiting assembly are; the financial bills that regulate commercial banks and other financial institutions, Public Financial Management and Accountability Act 2011 (Amendment Bill 2023),
The Bank of South Sudan Act 2011 (Amendment Bill 2023), and the Banking Act 2012 Amendment Bill 2023.
It also includes the National Security Service Act 2014 (Amendment Bill 2023), after the two provisions of the National Security Act 2014 are cancelled.
Although the minister of Information, Michael Makuei, said security personnel still have the authority to suppress any pervasive activities that are found.
The contentious provisions 54 and 55 of the National Security Service Act of 2014, which grants the service authority to make arrests with or without a warrant have been removed.
This was after the two leaders in the peace agreement that brought the unity government, President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar agreed to have the sections repealed.