Gov’t approves 100 per cent salary increment

JUBA – South Sudan government on Friday approved, during a cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the 100 percent civil servant salary increment which was order by Kiir in July last year, a senior government official said.

Michael Makuei Lueth, information minister and government spokesman said following a cabinet meeting on Friday that the new budget was approved following a long deliberation.

“This new salary structure, of course, you know very well was first presented before to the cabinet, and the cabinet decided to submit it to the economic cluster,” he said.

“The cluster decided to set up a six-man committee to study it and come up with recommendations on how best this increment can be implemented. The report was presented to the cabinet, which listened, thoroughly deliberated, and approved the report,” he added.

The senior government official further said that the cabinet has now asked the minister of finance to prepare a supplementary budget which would then be presented to the parliament for endorsement after which the ministry of finance would be directed to effect it.

“The cabinet immediately directed the finance minister to prepare a supplementary budget on the new salary structure, which will be taken to parliament as a supplementary budget, after which it will be operational,” he said.

“Regarding this issue, the government has resolved to increase salaries by 100 percent in the 2021/2022 budget as phase one with immediate effect during this financial year,” he Makuei stressed.

When asked if the supplementary budget intended to cater to the new salary structure will not affect the fiscal budget that was passed by parliament, Makuei said it will not since it is a slight adjustment.

“A supplementary budget is an adjustment or an additional budget to the budget which is already passed. This is the meaning of supplementary,” he added.