Dr. Baak Barnaba Chol, the new Minister of Finance and Planning speaks in Juba. (Photo: Obaj Okuj)

The Ministry of Finance and Planning said it will begin paying civil servants, organized forces salary arrears for the month of August and two months for foreign missions.

Apparently, all government workers including in the states and administrative areas have not received their salaries for the last four months.

This has prompted some officials, including the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament to question why civil servants are not getting paid on time when the government earns sufficient revenue.

On December 8, 2023, the Workers Trade Union of the University of Bahr el Ghazal declared a three-day strike over purported seven-month salary arrears and ticket allowances.

The union chairperson, Rabie Adam Hamed, said about 1,200 workers at the university are demanding unpaid three months’ salaries of April, May and June without increment.

He stated that the Union further demands four months of salary arrears from August, September, October and November according to the new salary increment.

Meanwhile, the office of Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol said the ministry has prioritized paying public employees over other competing government operations “to cater for the welfare of citizens.”

“The Ministry of Finance….is paying salaries for the month of August to the civil servants and organized forces at the national level, State Governments and Administrative Areas, whereas diplomats in foreign missions will receive salaries for the month of August and one month from the arrears.”

The statement further said the government is working on timely payment of salaries.

The ministry said the payment of August salary will follow the “strategy of cleansing the payroll” in line with the Public Financial Management reforms.

In July 2023, lawmakers at the National Parliament recommended the use of an electronic payment system to eliminate ghost names in all government payrolls.

Ghost names refer to a corruption scheme of having non-existing persons drawing salaries on government payrolls.

The issue is said to have affected civil servants, and organized forces – resulting in unnecessary expenditures and hindering the efficient delivery of public services.