Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel delivers his welcoming speech at ABMC Garden in Juba, following his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. - Credit: Eye Radio/Lou Nelson

Civil servants and armed forces in South Sudan have received salary arrears for February and March 2025, Vice President for Economic Cluster Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel said, in what he describes as the government’s commitment to improving public service delivery.

In a statement on 24th March, Vice President Bol said he has fulfilled his previous pledge to expedite the prompt payment of civil servant salaries on the 24th of every month.

He further revealed that a roadmap for the progressive clearance of all outstanding salary arrears will be unveiled.

Dr. Bol also said the Bank of South Sudan has now established what he referred to as “ring fenced” public salary account dedicated to salary disbursement.

The government has been struggling to meet its expenditures and civil servants and armed forces were not paid for one year after the main pipeline pumping oil from South Sudan through Sudan for export was damaged in February 2024 during the Sudan war.

The pipeline has since been repaired and the government announced the resumption of crude export.

– Mixed reactions –

Meanwhile, some government officials and civil servants in Eastern Equatoria have expressed mixed reaction after the state employees received one month’s salary in the Torit.

Speaking to a state-owned radio, Minister of Finance Peter Lokuju Lotirmoi, confirmed the payments and urged public to be patient while waiting for the other accumulated arrears.

“It is true that the vice president fulfilled whatever he promised. So, our people today, they are receiving their salaries. Everybody now is okay, because our vice president is serious in whatever he promised,” Lotirmoi said.

“I want the people to be patient. Again, I want the people to be ready to receive the March salaries. Let them be patient for some five or four days. We are going to release the other ones also. They are already with us.”

SPLM-IO Member of Parliament Kokol Michael appealed to Vice President Bol to promptly pay the pending months of civil servants’ salaries. He also called for economic reform to ensure the restoration of the value of South Sudan pounds.

“I welcome and appreciate that one man given. We hope that the Vice President of Economic Cluster has to continue meeting what he has promised to the civil servant.”

“What we are currently receiving is an arrears, not the salaries because the salaries are paid immediately at end of the month.”

“The Vice President of Economic cluster has to strengthen the issue of economy so that specifically the rate of dollars and pounds can stabilize, dollars have become stronger and the pounds which civil servants are receiving is completely very low when we go to the market.”

For her part, Ajok Grace, a civil servant, expressed frustrations over delayed salary payment since 2024 which she said has made life difficult for citizens across the state.

“Looking at the current situation of the citizens, we all know it has not been fine with us because people have been trying like struggling here and there,” he said.

“Though the salary was not there, the sacrifice was being given to the services of the nation. But at the end of the day, you find all this duration of time, there are people who have been borrowing.”

“There are some who tried investing in certain things and it was not working out. But since they had been promised something big, they were having that hope. So, looking at this one-month salary, I feel it’s not going to go well for citizens here.”

“Though some of them might accept, generally, it’s not something good. at least if it was something that is more than three months, it would make some big deal. But just one month’s salary, that is something so bad.”