Governors cry out over 13 months of unpaid salaries
One after the other, a number of governors raised various questions over the delay in salaries, and tasked the Ministry of Finance to address the thorny matter
By Opio Jackson
The governors on Friday cried out over the thirteen-month unpaid salaries and demanded that Finance Minister Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater explain the “overspending statement” by the state governments.
The leaders demanded clarity on specific States that have overspent instead of generalising them.
This serious debate came about after the First Deputy Speaker of the national parliament Oyet Nathaniel unveiled a financial report from the Ministry of Finance and Planning on the 2023/2024 budget expenditure.
In his presentation at the forum, Oyet made a recap on the previous report delivered to the legislatures by the finance ministry during the presentation of the 2024/2025 fiscal year budget.
“I would like to speak about the issue of the lack of salary. Every year we pass the national budget with all the chapters. I would like to draw attention to this,” he said.
“I would like to highlight that the 2023/2024 budget did not fail,” Oyet added.
He further said that according to the data presented to them by the Ministry of Finance, including the South Sudan Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Petroleum charged with the production of oil resources, the institutions did their best.
Speaking about the previous budget, Oyet highlighted that the 2023/2024 budget, which was passed at SSP1.7 trillion, had realized an outturn of SSP2.1 trillion.
“That was the fact of the data presented to us in the national assembly and quarterly report.”
“Now the question that comes, where is the salary if there was an outturn of SSP2.1 trillion,” Oyet asked.
Also, he outlined that in the previous fiscal year budget, oil revenue was projected to raise SSP 1.5 billion which he said the outturn was SSP1.8 billion.
“That means there was a surplus of SSP 358 billion.”
Meanwhile, the non-oil revenue was projected at SSP 245 billion, the outturn was SSP 238 billion.
Oyet lamented that if there was a surplus in the revenue collected then where is the salary, stressing that according to the findings, they learned that some ministries had overspent.
“That means those ministries even knowing that they have already spent their budget will still go to bother the Ministry of Finance either directly or through any other routes.”
However, the statement about the overspending by some states has raised a lot of questions among the governors as they demand clarity from the Minister of Finance.
“ We are happy that you presented the report. The reason why we need clarification is that this issue of overspending is going to create for us problems in the state,” said Louis Lobong Lojore, the governor of Eastern Equatoria State.
According to the governor, the Ministry of Finance had at some point reported that Eastern Equatoria State had only submitted 39 per cent of its revenue to the central government, a statement the he said was untrue.
He added that this would create a problem that the state is overspending and not remitting its 40 per cent revenue to the national government.
Lakes State governor, Rin Tueny Mabor said since the beginning of the year, they had received only one-month salary, being the payment of November 2023 salary.
“We are moving with a cheque of credit advance since October 28 to date between the Ministry of Finance and Bank of South Sudan. Why?” he said, as they were being dodged in between.
Meanwhile, Mahjoub Biel Turuk, the Jonglei State governor said he does not understand why someone works for the government and at the end of the month does not get paid.
“How can you not expect the workers not to be corrupt? Of course, he will be corrupt because he gets nothing in return,” he said.
He said the delays in salaries have even made some state ministers not to be in a position to buy a cup of tea for their colleague.
“This is the one thing that increases crimes in the state because government employees don’t receive a salary,” he said.
“That is what makes them rob for an alternative solution even if it is not a legal solution.”
One official from Warrap said it was one month since they received the cheque from the Ministry of Finance; and when you go to the Central Bank, they said there is no money.
“Why should the Ministry of Finance make salary news when it is the right of the civil servants to receive their salaries?”
In his response, Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater, National Minister of Finance and Planning said the statement disclosed by the first deputy speaker of the parliament to the forum was an abstract of the document he presented to the August House.
According to him, it was a classified report which he felt should not be shared at the governors’ forum as they were yet to hold further discussion on it.
“I do not know whether we should discuss the details of the report here in the forum or they should wait to be discussed in the parliament,” Dr. Dongrin stated.
“That means those ministries even knowing that they have already spent their budget will still go to bother the Ministry of Finance either directly or through any other routes.” First Deputy Speaker of the national parliament Oyet Nathaniel.
