Government says civil servants’ salaries being paid in phases

Minister of ICT and Postal Services, Ateny Wek Ateny. Photo credit: ICT & PS.

The Minister of Information and Government Spokesperson says salaries for civil servants and organized forces are now being processed and paid in phases across the country.

According to Ateny Wek Aten, “the salaries are now being paid. Some ministries have already got their salaries, the army got salaries, the old organized forces, the money for the states are on their way, and some states have already received a salary for one month.”

He made the remarks following a meeting of the Ministerial High-Level Committee for Economic Reforms held on Wednesday in Juba, which he said “has sat today for the first time to now actually address the six agenda items.”

He said payments to states are ongoing, with some states already receiving one month’s salary, adding that “the Minister of Finance is also working through this high-level committee to ensure that the next salary is also paid to the people of South Sudan.”

Ateny said the committee’s first sitting focused on its formation, terms of reference, and administrative arrangements, including the establishment of technical and secretariat structures.

He explained that the meeting covered “the introductory session, and to adopt the name of the committee, and then the official logo, and the heading paper.”

He added that the committee also reviewed measures aimed at improving revenue collection, including a review of non-statutory tax exemptions to strengthen non-oil revenue performance, adding that “work is underway to ensure that the non-statutory exemptions are either cancelled completely, or reviewed, and see what led into issuance of those non-statutory exemptions.”

Ateny further said work is ongoing to ensure consistent and timely payment of salaries for civil servants, as well as payments for foreign diplomatic missions, stating that “they are also working to make a payment for foreign missions outside the country.”

The committee is expected to meet weekly to monitor progress on economic reforms and salary payments, and “this Friday, the committee will be actually reporting back to the Covenant about the thing that they have started to do,” with a report to be submitted to Cabinet in the coming days

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