By Deng Ghai Deng
Ministry of Finance and Planning announced on Monday that it has started paying one month of salary arrears to civil servants and organized forces, after nearly 12 months of delayed payments.
Tek Stephen Ogut, the director of communication at the Ministry of Finance, confirmed the payment, stating, “the salary payment has started today [Monday]. It’s one month’s payment.”
This development follows a directive issued by President Salva Kiir Mayardit last week, instructing the Ministry of Finance and the economic team to prioritize settling the salary arrears owed to public employees as quickly as possible.
In his address, President Kiir acknowledged the urgency of resolving the country’s economic challenges.
“It is critical that we correct the current anomalies in the economic sector in order to alleviate the suffering of our people,” Kiir stated.
The salary delays have led to widespread discontent among servants. Employees across the country have expressed their frustration at the failure to receive their wages for an extended period. Several workers explained the hardships they face due to the delayed payments.
Peter Malek, a state employee in Warrap’s Ministry of Education, described the difficulties he has faced in supporting his family during the salary drought.
“For me, now I think one full year has passed without salaries. Last year’s December salaries were not paid, and now it’s exactly 12 months without money,” Malek lamented.
He added that, with Christmas approaching, he would be unable to provide for his children or buy clothes for the holiday. “There will be no celebration for the feast of the year,” he said.
Paulino Mathiang, another government employee, shared similar concerns. “It is difficult to live without salaries.
The security sector has received some months ahead of us, and there is a rumor that one month has been released, but we haven’t received it yet,” Mathiang explained.
“It’s a very big challenge for us as government employees because we cannot prepare for Christmas. It’s challenging to work for the government without pay,” he added.
The economic situation has been worsened by the South Sudanese Pound’s sharp decline, now standing at 5,000 SSP to a US dollar in the black market.
This is compounded by a scarcity of US dollars, exacerbating the country’s economic woes. Additionally, a critical oil pipeline, vital for South Sudan’s oil exports, was damaged in Sudan amid ongoing conflict which further strained the nation’s finances.