South Sudan finance minister promises timely payment of salaries

JUBA – South Sudan’s Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol, on Wednesday promised timely payment of salaries of civil servants, and organized forces salaries.

Speaking to the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), Bak reiterated his ministry’s commitment to fulfill the reform agenda by providing essential goods and continuing to pay salaries on time.

“The Ministry of Finance and Planning is so committed to fulfilling its reform agenda providing essential goods, continuing to pay salaries and the reform on elimination of ghost names is ongoing but that will not interpret the payment of salaries on time,” said Bak.

He attributed the delay of salaries to difficulties in collection of non-oil revenue and delay of oil revenue remittance from Red Sea.

“We have difficulties in collection of non-oil revenue that actually support our budget in paying salaries and we have issued a red sea that delays remittance from oil revenue and on behalf of the ministry,” he said.

According to the senior government official, the payment of salaries will follow the strategy of cleansing the payroll in line with the public financial management reforms.

The ministry only paid the salaries of August and September 2023.