President Kiir hands a document to Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol. (Photo: PPU)

President Salva Kiir has directed the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and that of Public Service to implement a national payment system, in what is seen as a bid to combat corruption by eliminating ghost names.

In a Republican Decree order readout on state TV on Thursday evening, Kiir ordered the screening of employee pay sheets, production financial identification cards and other necessary measures.

The order called for removal of ghost names from the National payroll and directed payment of the salaries of civil servants and organized force salary on time.

The Head of State Kiir also authorized the Ministry of Finance to establish an independence committee to verify and investigate all the national claims and propose ways of paying those claims.

Meanwhile, the president urged all government institutions to comply with the order.

In November 2023, National Finance Minister Bak Barnaba Chol attributed the delay in paying civil servants’ salaries to the adoption of a biometric system and adjustment of the payroll to the new salary structure.

In January 2024, the Ministry of Finance and Planning held a consultative discussion with the Undersecretaries, Directors General, Directors and senior officials from various government institutions on the management of financial claims.

Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol urged the representatives to regulate the claims they send to the Ministry of Finance, to ensure such documents are authentic, legitimate and procedural, to curb the issues of bogus claims and contain the rampant overcrowding at the ministry of finance.

Minister Bak added that the payment of salaries will be conducted through financial ID cards issued to all public servants and organized forces to clear the payroll from ghost names and set the pace for a biometric system of salary payment.