FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 15, 2011 (SSNA) — Following recent concerns over the delay of central Government salary payments, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) wishes to issue the following clarifications.
All the central Government salary payments are made, by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, on the last day of every month.
Salary payments to Government employees are contingent on the following: 1) that the relevant Government agency compiles a payroll reports and submits it to the Ministry of Labour and Public Service for approval; 2) that the Ministry of Labour and Public Service transmits in a timely manner these pay sheets to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Once these steps are completed, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning processes the salary payments. This is completed by the last day of each month at the very latest. Salary payments are made to the relevant Government agencies for payment to their employees either directly or through the banking system.
If central Government employees have not received their salaries follow up should be undertaken first with their Bank to confirm that the Bank payment has been executed properly, second with their employer (not with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning) to ensure that correct process has been undertaken. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning is not responsible for delays in payments due to late submission of pay sheets, or slow processing of salary payments following the end of a given month.
Hon. Kosti Manibe Ngai, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, has indicated that “He is absolutely committed to efficiency and transparent payments, and is personally committed to ensuring that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning functions in the best interests of South Sudan.” To this end, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has given agencies more power over the implementation of their budgets to allow transparency while demanding improved accountability and reporting.
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