By Lodu William Odiya
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has directed the Minister of Public Service, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, to accelerate reforms and salary payments.
In a statement that was released by the Presidential Press Unit, the head of state was briefed on the progress of the ongoing biometric registration exercise and the challenges affecting salary payments for civil servants across the country.
“During their meeting, Minister Lol outlined the steps being taken to modernise the public service payroll while noting existing gaps that have delayed timely disbursement of salaries and arrears,” the statement partly read.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and efficiency within the public service.
Following the briefing, President Kiir stated that the Ministry of Finance and relevant financial institutions must begin implementing the necessary measures to ensure the prompt payment of salaries and outstanding arrears owed to civil servants.
He stressed that timely payment remains a priority for maintaining a functional and motivated public workforce.
“Discussions also touched on preparations for the upcoming elections, with emphasis on creating conditions that will allow the people of the Republic of South Sudan to freely go to the polls in December this year,” the statement continued.
On another development, President Kiir also directed the National Communications Authority (NCA) to enhance its performance and accelerate reforms to ensure more reliable and efficient service delivery across the country.
The NCA presented a report to the head of state outlining its performance, achievements, and challenges as part of continuing efforts to strengthen key government institutions.
During their meeting, the director general of the authority, Rizik Dominic, briefed the president on progress made and the challenges affecting the communications sector.
He noted the urgent need to upgrade critical technical systems that have become largely obsolete over the past three years, including the 4G telecommunications infrastructure, stressing that modernisation will improve connectivity and strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities.
The president emphasised that a well-functioning communications sector is fundamental for national development, governance, and digital security in the Republic of South Sudan.
Rizik Dominic expressed appreciation for the president’s guidance and reaffirmed his commitment to implementing the necessary upgrades and reforms to improve the authority’s overall performance.