Peter Lam Both, the SPLM Secretary-General - Courtesy

The SPLM Secretary General stated that 2025 will be a year of hope for South Sudan, focusing on prioritizing oil production and improving tax collection to enhance service delivery and pay civil servants, while appreciating the South Sudanese people as true heroes of the liberation for enduring a year without salaries.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio on December 27, Peter Lam Both said the public sector workforce is making immense sacrifices despite the severe economic challenges.

He stated that the government is intensifying efforts to restore oil production and improve tax collection to stabilize the economy and meet citizens’ needs.

In an interview, Lam stated that the government will work tirelessly to ensure South Sudanese citizens receive their rightful salaries in 2025, signaling hope for a more stable economic future.

“I want them to know that we are working very hard, really working very hard, to make sure that we get this salary for them. This year, 2025, might be a different year for our people. They have to get their rights, and we must double our efforts,” Lam stated.

“We are working very hard for the oil to resume, the oil operations to resume, and the collection of taxes to be done appropriately so that people can get money to pay the government obligations,” he said.

He stated that working for a year without a salary is an extraordinary testament to their resilience, dedication, and commitment to the nation.

“I want to appreciate the people of South Sudan, as a Secretary General of SPLM. I have seen something in our people that I have never seen with anybody in the world,” he said.

Mr Lam said it rarely happens in history that people can work for one year without pay, adding that the South Sudanese public workforce has done it because they believe in the country.

“They are the ones who created it [liberated South Sudan]. They fought for it, they voted for it during the referendum for independence. And they are saying, we don’t want to create a bad name/image for our country, we must work until our salary comes.”

“I want to tell them [South Sudanese], they are the true heroes of our liberation because you wake up in the morning, you come to your workplace, you go back to your house, and there is nothing.”

“And still, your children are crying, there’s no food and you still tell them I’m going to work and they did nothing. So I want to tell them that. I appreciate it very much. The president of this country appreciates them.”

Mr Lam added that SPLM still stands for its vision of delivering prosperity to the South Sudanese people.

He added that the political party had not been given a chance to serve the people and accused some individuals of being impatient and anti-SPLM.

“SPLM is a mass political movement, but our people know that the SPLM brought them this country people know SPLM has a vision and it has a program.”

“The people know that SPLM has not been given a chance to implement the program for development. They know a time will come when the SPLM will be in the right place at the right time to deliver the promises to the people of South Sudan.”

“Now those who are hurrying to see the results very quickly. Those are the ones who are against SPLM, but when it comes to supporting SPLM, I have been across this country and have seen the support for SPLM.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to provide additional context. The original statement was taken out of context, as it lacked the necessary details to explain how the SPLM-SG arrived at the conclusion of appreciating the South Sudanese people for their patience in enduring a year without receiving salaries. This oversight was unintentional.