The government is reducing the number of staff employed in 10 embassies across the world, the Press Secretary in the office of the President has said.

Ateny Wek Ateny says this would allow the government to save money for other operational costs.

Mr Ateny told Eye Radio that embassies are overstaffed with non-essential workers, which increases costs.

“Overstaffing is not doing the job because the few people could do the job,” he stated.

Mr Ateny says the changes are also designed in the interest of creating a lean government.

But earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barnaba Marial, was quoted by other media houses, saying the changes will happen in all the 32 embassies South Sudan has established.

Currently, each foreign mission has between 20 to 25 staff, according to Thomas Kenneth, the deputy spokesman at the foreign affairs ministry.