Gov’t owes diplomats 24 months in salary arrears – finance minister  

JUBA – South Sudan’s finance minister, Agak Achuil Lual, told the country’s lawmakers on Thursday that the government in Juba owes diplomats at least 24 months in salary arrears, but said efforts were being made to clear them in the near future.

The minister made this revelation on Thursday during a parliamentary sitting in Juba where lawmakers unanimously passed budget for fiscal year 2021/2022 which had been tabled by the government in February.

Achuil said a part of the budget has been allocated to diplomats whom he said had not been paid for at least 27 months when he was appointed into office by President Salva Kiir Mayardit in November last year.

“It was passed by the cabinet that a certain amount should be given to the ministry of foreign affairs such that they clear the salaries of foreign missions. I found this but now it is on my desk and we are working on it,” Achuil said.

Achuil said he had paid salary arrears of 3 months to the diplomats and the government was working hard to pay the remaining 24 months salary.

“As soon as we get the money, we will clear all the arrears. Remember the arrears for foreign missions were 27 months and when I came in I paid them for three months and it came to 24 months,” he added.

The senior government official further added that his government is “working very hard to make sure all the unpaid months for foreign missions are cleared, including the organized forces, civil servants, and the universities.”

The parliament on Thursday afternoon passed a fiscal budget of 338 billion pounds  with a surplus of at least SSP 174,545,280,000 which a parliamentary committee recommended to go to spending government agencies.