The National Legislative Assembly has summoned the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Housing over the failure to build houses for government officials.

In 2012, the Ministry proposed to construct low-cost housing units for civil servants.

An MP in the Assembly, Paul Yoane says the project has not been implemented. He says the failure has cost South Sudan millions of pounds to settle hotel bills for government officials.

“My question is how did this vital project which could have served millions of money being lost in settling hotels bills in Juba today,” Hon Yoane said.

Currently, government officials live buildings that were constructed by the Yugoslav government as its contribution to the then autonomous Southern Sudan Regional government after the signing Addis Ababa agreement in 1972.

“[They] remain the only houses hotly contested by any team of newly appointed ministers which are unfortunately not even enough.”

The Minster of Land, Housing and Physical Planning, Catherine Juan says the project was stopped due to the austerity measures.

“The work stopped due to failure to pay the actual money to the contractor due to the austerity measures,” said Ms Juan.

The 50 housing units were a project conceived by the Ministry of Land Housing and Physical Planning after securing a piece of land covering an area of 7o meters by 70 from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure of Central Equatoria State.

The project had been allocated 9,000,000 pounds.