The Minister of Cabinet Affairs says the government has started paying post service benefits of former constitutional post holders who served in the national and state governments.

Dr. Martin Elia Lomoro says the beneficiaries include former national ministers, state governors, commissioners, and MPs who were appointed by the presidency before the country gained independence in 2011.

Dr. Elia says the payment follows an assessment by the government to identify and verify the names of the individuals.

He told Eye Radio this morning that some of those elected to constitutional posts at the national level were paid in the same process that is still ongoing.

Dr. Elia said those elected by the states, including those appointed by the governors will be catered for by their respective governments.

“First of all we identified who was to be paid by the central government and who was to be paid by the state government because the government that was established in 2005 was initially by presidential decrees,” he said.

“We had to draw the lines where the responsibility of the national government is compared to that of the states,” Dr. Elia said.

Dr. Elia Lomoro did not mention how many constitutional post holders have been identified to receive the benefits and how much money has been set aside to pay their dues.