Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol (L) speaks to peace force at Luri Training Center. (Photo: Awan Moses)

The Minister of Finance and Planning on Wednesday pledged to pay salaries of the newly deployed Necessary Unified Force (NUF) based on the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.

Dr Barnaba Bak Chol was responding to a call by Interior Minister Angelina Teny during a ceremony to kickstart the deployment of the peace force.

Minister Angelina said the priority of the finance ministry is the protection of the country’s sovereignty and that it should stand ready to support the defense ministry as the deployment takes place.

In response, Dr Bak affirmed that he is solely responsible for the logistics, food, uniform, and salaries of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).

According to him, he told the head of National Transitional Committee, Tut Gatluak, that the salaries of the forces must start from August 2023.

“I am happy to stand in front of you here today on this big day and witness your graduation on this wonderful day, I am very happy,” he told the force paraded in Luri Training Center.

“I can say that I am the one responsible for SSPDF of your logistics, food, uniform, and salaries. I told the chairman that salaries of those people must start from August onward, and don’t think that your salaries will start from today, but from August forward.”

Last month, SSPF soldiers received their salaries excluding those from the unified SPLM-IO and SSOA forces.