South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has blamed the finance ministry for the delay in payments of outstanding emoluments for MPs, constitutional post holders and civil servants.

Kiir made the remarks while addressing national lawmakers at the opening of the parliament’s second session in Juba on Tuesday.

 “The Ministry of Finance and Planning never obeyed its promises,” Kiir said.

The South Sudanese leader also directed the finance minister to expedite the payment of outstanding benefits for the country’s lawmakers and civil servants.

“That is a right that cannot be denied and government must pay all that is outstanding, wherever they bring money from,” he said.

Last month, the labour minister James Hoth Mai told Radio Tamazuj that a cash shortfall has seen government employees go unpaid for four months.

In a speech to mark Independence Day in July, Kiir apologised to civil servants who went without salaries for several months, saying the failure was "caused by weak governance" in the departments supposed to raise the funds and pledged to personally get involved.

South Sudan heavily relies on oil revenue.

The petroleum ministry said it plans to increase output to more than 350,000 barrels of crude per day by the middle of 2020, up from 180,000 barrels per day currently, according to official figures.