Economist says 100 percent salary increment will reduce poverty

JUBA – South Sudanese economist, Abraham Matoc, has welcomed the 100 percent public sector salary increment announced by President Salva Kiir Mayardit last week saying that it would help eliminate the poverty level in the country.

Kiir on Friday announced that his government has increased salaries of all civil servants by 100 percent in his address to the nation marking 10th independence anniversary.

The move came days after the unity government announced a fiscal budget of over 600 billion South Sudanese Pounds.

The latest increment will see the least-paid civil servant earning 1,500 SSP will now be paid 3,000 SSP per month.

In an exclusive interview with Sudans Post on Monday Matoc who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Dr. John Garang Memorial University said recent salary increment by President Salva Kiir is an indication that the government is concerned about the livelihood of the people in the country.

“Salaries are income of individuals and if incomes are very low, definitely, poverty will not be reduced. Reasonable income would improve the livelihood of the people because they have sufficient income which they can use now as a means of livelihood,” Matoc told Sudans Post reporter on the phone interview in Juba on Monday.

Matoc noted that an increase in the government employees would likely reduce their incentive to be corrupt.

“They (civil servants) will be motivated to work hard in transparent and accountable manner in whatever they do because if you are tempted again to crouch into public funds, definitely you will be held accountable because much of your salaries have already been put to a level that can sustain you,”

He described the move as a good step toward fulfillment of Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty and hunger.

“It is part and parcel of sustainable millennium goals that hunger and poverty must be reduced for the next 30 or 50 years,” he said.