The crushing weight of economic inflation in this country demands an immediate end to the delay of civil servant salaries. I call upon the government to address the national crisis and fight for the rights of its workforce. It has now been months since civil servants did not receive their pay, despite repeated promises of salary increments and timely disbursements. The government must not take advantage of the patience of the innocent people of this nation.
In today’s economy, many can no longer afford a basic loaf of bread. Market prices skyrocket daily as the US Dollar continues its relentless rise against the South Sudanese Pound. Citizens are the hardest hit, navigating a market with no price controls and no means of self-sustenance. Across the nation, people are literally dying of hunger, yet it feels as though the gravity of this situation is being ignored.
We need decisive action, not “dramatic partiality.” A pattern has emerged where leaders promise payments within a week, only for those words to vanish into thin air. These workers are human beings; they deserve to be treated with dignity. Think of our soldiers and teachers they have families to support, especially during this festive season.
If the delay is caused by the “installation of systems” across institutions, why is the process so agonizingly slow? If these technical transitions are ongoing, it would be only fair to pay at least one month’s salary to the workers while the systems are finalized.
Furthermore, the promise that salaries will be managed by various committees and accountants often yields no results. Even when payments are announced, they frequently remain “figures on paper” and in the banks with no actual cash reaching the hands of the workers. Despite the supposed expertise within the institutions, high-level corruption ensures that many civil servants never see a penny of what they are owed.
Civil servants are suffering, and our soldiers share the same fate. Just like in any other country, a soldier has a family to feed. Here, however, some are forced into the heartbreaking position of extorting the very civilians they are sworn to protect just to survive.
Salaries must be paid monthly not every few months to restore hope to those serving the state. Further delays will only provoke strikes, which reflects poorly on a government that fails to keep its word.
I appeal to the authorities to act swiftly. Pay these salaries now to ease the suffering caused by this economic hardship. Finally, I want to commend the civil servants of South Sudan. Despite going months without pay, you have remained committed to your duties. That is the definition of true nationalism. Continue with that spirit as we strive to build this nation.
God Protect South Sudan.
Be the Spectator.