Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister of Information during a cabinet meeting on 10th July 2020. | File Photo/Eye Radio

The Council of Ministers has directed the Minister of Finance to prepare an additional budget to cover the new salary structure for government employees.

In September, the Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development presented the revised budget at the tune of 658 billion SSP, seeking to increase the salaries of civil servants.

Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth, said the Finance Minister has been given a go-ahead to present the supplementary budget to the cabinet for approval before being taken to the parliament.

“After thorough deliberation on the report of the minister of finance, the cabinet approved the report and directed the minister of finance to immediately prepare the supplementary budget on the new salary structure,” said Makuei while speaking on Friday.

The information minister said the supplementary budget will be presented to the cabinet for deliberation and approval before it is forwarded to the parliament.

Makuei said the supplementary budget had been delayed because the source of funding was not identified.

He said the revenue source has finally been identified and that budget will come to effect once it reaches the parliament/

[MICHAEL MAKUEI – 1012SBE02]: “All that we wanted to know the source of funding (for the supplementary budget) but the revenue source has been identified and the minister (of finance) is directed to prepare the supplementary budget because it is not included the budget that has been passed by the parliament. So he has to increase that amount and present to the cabinet and the parliament so that the new salary structured is passed.”

In the fiscal year budget for 2022-2023, the government has allocated SSP 198.2 billion for wages out of the 1.3 trillion SSP passed in August.