March 20th, 2019: Members of the NPTC briefing President Salva Kiir about its activities. Photo: South Sudan Presidential Press Unit

The National Pre-transitional Committee says it will only foot the hotel bills for peace delegates until the beginning of the Transitional Period.

Last week, the SPLM-IO team, and others in Juba were kicked out of the hotel, after the NPTC failed to clear the bills of over 70 days.

The hotel management said the National Pre-Transitional Committee – which is in charge of their welfare – did not pay the bills for bed and meals.

NPTC headed by the Presidential Advisor, Tut Gatluak later intervened by clearing the bills and accommodated them at the Juba Grand Hotel.

Hundreds of peace delegates from various parties, who returned to Juba since last year, some of whom are members of the pre-transitional committees, have been lodging at “luxurious hotels in Juba.

“In fact [for] all the members of the committees that came from outside the government, we are supposed to hire apartments and accommodate them there, instead of taking them to the hotels,” Michael Makuei told reporters in Juba, after an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet.

But Michael Makuei said this is temporary. He said as soon as the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity is formed -likely -in May, the government will stop catering for their needs.

“All these people will be transferred to apartment or houses that will be hired and furnished by the government for that short period -up to the time when R-TGoNU is established, and everybody will find his way,” he concluded.

Some members of the public have suggested that the money being spent by the government on accommodating officials at the hotels, could be channeled to funding crucial aspects of the agreement -if only they could return to their previous homes.