The Ministry of Labor, Pubic Service and Human Resource Development says the committee that was formed to work with Sudan on pensions is unable to travel to Khartoum to finalize the process due to lack of transport fare.

The Undersecretary at the Ministry, Juma Yoane, said the committee was formed last year but is not effective due lack of money.

He said the committee was to travel to Khartoum to start negotiations over pensions of South Sudanese who retired before independence in 2011.

“According to our agreement which was signed in Addis Ababa, we need to inform them that we have established a pension fund, and we also have our pension account, so that they start sending our money,” said Yoane.

Mr. Yoane urges the Ministry of Finance to pay for tickets of the committee members to allow them accomplish their required task.

Many South Sudanese who have reached the age of retirement are still working in government institutions due to lack of funds to pay them off.

He said the sooner the committee is able to travel to Khartoum and meet their counterparts, the sooner they can pay off civil servants who have qualified for pension, under the law.

“We need to bring the money so that we can start process of retirement, after that everybody who is over 65 years will be retired, so that young people can get job opportunity,” Mr. Yoane added.

The committee was formed under the South Sudan Pension Fund, an independent body which serves as a management trustee and collect contributions, invest assets and calculate and make payment of pensions.

It is not clear how much Sudan is supposed to pay as pension to South Sudanese.