FILE: Lakes State Governor, Rin Tueny Mabor - COURTESY

Lakes and Northern Bahr el Ghazal governors have urged the national government to clarify the delay in paying salary arrears of civil servants and organized forces, in their presentations at the 8^th Governors Forum in Juba.

The government workforce has not received an accumulated salary arrears for 11 months – in what has been blamed on an economic crisis caused by the rapture of oil pipeline – but which has also been attributed to the mismanagement of non-oil revenue by finance officials.

Lakes Governor Rin Tueny said the non-payment of salary arrears has affected the work performance and moral condition of the state’s over 13,000 civil servants leading to increasing crimes.

Addressing the 8^th Governors Forum in Juba on Wednesday, Mabor said the national government should clarify the delay so that they can carry accurate information to their civil servants.

“The biggest challenge is delay of salary for civil servants and organized forces continue to affect moral, work performance, and increase crimes,” he said.

“The issue of salary is a problem; it is not delaying but it is totally not there. And Comrade First Vice President, in Lakes State, we have 13,980 civil servants.”

“We have been promising this workforce every month, you wait, be patience, salary is coming, it is now one year now as leaders in this country, what is this? I want answer, when I go back from here, what do I tell this 13,000 workforce.”

For his part, the Governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Simon Ober raised a similar concern. He stated that the national government should find a way to pay all outstanding salary arrears of its workforce.

“The depreciation of South Sudan pounds and slump in the oil production. Irregular payment and accumulated arrears has led to the demotivation of civil servants as a challenge,” he said.

“Now, the way forward or our recommendation is the Bank of South Sudan should formulate and implement monetary policies that will strengthen the SSP. The national government should find a way to pay all outstanding salary arrears to civil servants.”

Responding to the queries, the First Vice President said the Finance Minister shall as well address the 8^th Governors Forum.

In November 6, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba told the Finance and Planning Minister that there is no excuse for delaying the payment of civil servants after Dr. Marial Dongrin said the salaries would only be paid after the budget is approved by parliament.

On Tuesday, President Salva Kiir assented to the Financial and Appropriation Acts, therefore actualizing the 4.2 trillion South Sudan pounds 2024-2025 fiscal year budget which imposes heavy taxation.