South Sudan State pledges to settle arrears as civil servants live on the edge

The government has pledged to clear the arrears of civil servants that piled in 2020 as the country battled a cash-crunch. 

Agok Makur Kur, the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning told The City Review that plans were underway to clear the salary arrears accrued last year. 

He said the government only managed to pay January salaries but five-month arrears and dues for diplomats and heads of missions are yet to be settled. The arrears run for more than 20 months. 

His is after the government applied for a loan from the World Bank and the African Development Bank to foot the recurrent expenditure bills.

However, Kur did provide the details of the loans in terms of what is expected, when it will arrive and how it will be used. He said most of the debt baggage was inherited from past governance. 

“We inherited several challenges and problems, including the arrears of salaries of employees working in the state,” Makur said.

He promised a regular payment for the state employees on grounds that the government was weeding out financial problems.

 “I promise the citizens that they will not face any problem in receiving their salaries every month on time. We started this program last month and we are proceeding with that.” 

Feeling pinch

The irregular payments forced out Peter Okimu from his job as a teacher at Tokiman Primary School in Juba. He represents many other state officers that have to contend with unprecedented difficulties in receiving payments. 

He said, “I left the teaching profession which I have been for five years after salary delayed for seven months.” 

“Life in the country has become difficult. Everything has become expensive. We have families and responsibilities. How can we get food for our families? The situation is dire and very painful.”

Like Uhuru, many people have given up on government jobs. And, even if they choose to stick around, they have to try other means to survive.  

He lamented: “Many of us have given up their government jobs because they are not enough to meet the requirements of our families.

 “Some of us, as government employees, are selling some goods in the markets, cutting trees to sell them as charcoal”. 

Uhuru appealed to the government to consider salary increments to help the workers cope with economic problems.

 “It is not possible to accept working for 2000 to 3000 pounds, which cannot buy 15 kilos of flour, let alone other daily needs.”