The teaching staff at South Sudan’s public universities will receive their two months’ salary arrears this week, a finance ministry official has said.
Tek Stephen, the director of communication at the Ministry of Finance, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that the money was approved and the lecturers will be paid soon.
“The issue of the payment of public universities was approved and it is in the process and I think it was just a matter of availing the money,” he said. “Any time soon, and it will not take a long time and they will probably be paid within the week.”
Last week, Deputy Finance Minister Agok Makur tasked the University of Juba to submit their pay sheets for February and March so that the money is processed.
Makur made the call after four public universities submitted their pay sheets except for the University of Juba.
“We have now received the pay sheets from all five public universities and so they are being processed and they will receive their salaries anytime from this week,” he said.
Early in the month academic and support staff at the five public universities threatened to go on strike over delayed payment of salaries and allowances.
Last week, President Salva Kiir, the chancellor of all public universities, ordered the finance ministry to pay arrears for February and March and allowances to all public universities.