By Jacob Onuha Nelson
Civil servants and members of the organized forces across South Sudan say they remain unpaid, despite government pledge to disburse salaries by 24th every month.
The promise of timely payments was made in early March by the Vice President for the Economic Cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.
Following his swearing-in, Dr. Bol Mel assured public sector workers that their economic hardship would be addressed, with salaries guaranteed by 24th.
The Ministry of Finance later reinforced this directive by announcing that payments would be processed in line with the Vice President’s commitment.
However, the reality on the ground appears starkly different.
Workers report empty bank accounts days after a promised payment date.
In a phone interview with No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Milton Obore, a civil servant, expressed frustration over government’s failure to fulfill its promise of timely salary payments.
“The government is deceiving us; there is no money in the bank. They have only provided incentives for special guards,” Obore stated.
He acknowledged that while the government claims there are funds available, the reality at the bank tells a different story.
“Yes, there is a cheque, but when you go to the bank, you’re told there is no money,” he said.
The ongoing delays have drawn criticism from civil society. Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), commended the Vice President for making the promise but urged the government to turn words into action.
“There is a need to improve the government’s performance regarding payment of civil servants’ salaries and the clearance of the salary arrears,” Yakani acknowledged.
He suggested that the salary areas should be cleared in one paid-off payment and also there’s a need to improve the consistence.