President Kiir shakes hands with Finance Minister Marial Dongrin Ater. July 12, 2024. (Office of the President/Facebook).

President Salva Kiir has directed the Ministry of Finance to pay one month’s salary to civil servants and organized forces starting Monday, according to Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth.

This decision aims to alleviate the financial challenges faced by government employees amid ongoing salary delays.

During a regular Council of Ministers meeting, Minister Makuei also revealed that President Kiir called for stricter financial controls to reduce unnecessary expenditures.

Makuei stated that despite the current challenges, the President has outlined measures to enhance financial oversight and manage resources more effectively.

“A council of ministers in the regular meeting number in the update, his Excellency briefs us about a set, the payment one-month salary starting this coming Monday,” Makuei stated during a media briefing on Friday in Juba after the Council of Ministers meeting.

“We will try to improve the situation. However, President Kiir gave us measures that he takes to take during this coming period, as you know very well this difficult period and as such, he needs to strengthen and apply proper control measures in order to control this unnecessary expenditure,” he said.

Finance Minister Marial Dongrin Ater has confirmed that the payment process for civil servants has already begun.

He stated that the government aims to complete all payments by next week.

Minister Dongrin emphasized the government’s commitment to resolving salary delays, despite ongoing economic challenges.

“We have already started working on salary payment, and I think this week some institutions are getting the salaries, and this shall continue and hopefully we conclude this next week for everyone,” Dongrin stated.

“I think it’s important, despite the difficulty, that we have to pay the civil service and all the public sector employees.  Finally, we are committed as a team to face the challenges that we are currently going through,” he said.

Civil servants in South Sudan have endured significant hardships due to delayed salary payments, with some workers facing arrears lasting up to ten months.

In September 2024, a civil society group threatened legal action against the government over the growing backlog of unpaid wages.

In response, the Ministry of Finance announced plans in October to resume monthly payments under the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.

However, the ongoing delays have led to strikes by workers, including teachers and university lecturers, who are demanding their overdue pay.

Civil society organizations have pointed to poor management of non-oil revenues and a decline in oil production — South Sudan’s primary revenue source — as major factors contributing to the crisis.