Northern Bahr el Ghazal State’s members of parliament have continued to reject their salaries as the state government decided to pay them fractional wages contrary to what was approved mid-this year, some legislators told Radio Tamazuj.
The development came as the state government started payment of salary arrears for July to all constitutional post-holders and civil servants across the state. A lawmaker claimed that their approved salary is SSP 447,000 apart from the increments for chairpersons of specialized committees.
The chairperson for the Information Committee in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Legislative Assembly, Garang Kuol Mabior, said they have remained firm in rejecting the incomplete pay until the Ministry of Finance releases the proper dues.
“The context is that the MPs are supposed to be paid with SSP 447,000 but now they are paid with 150,000 each,” he explained. “The total number of state lawmakers is 100 and we have been rejecting the salaries since Thursday.”
“We have another concern because the civil servants are also being paid incomplete salaries,” Kuol added.
Another MP, Daniel Akot, echoed that the reason for their rejection of the pay is that their wages are not being paid according to what was approved in mid-April.
“The emolument for the state assembly is not reflected in the ongoing salaries payment. The initial approved amount was SSP 447, 000 for ordinary MPs apart from the chairpersons of standing specialized committees,” he stated. “This budget was approved in mid-April and was effective from May 2023 onward.”
A member of the national parliament representing Lakes State, Juol Ngomgek, said the recent increment of the salary of a national parliamentarian saw their pay rise to SSP 800,000. He added that state assemblies are supposed to pass their budgets and refer them to the Council of States where some adjustments are made for final structures.
He faulted the national government for failing to unify salary structures across the country.
“They (state parliaments) are supposed to pass their budgets and then forward it to Council of States so that it will go through adjustments,” he revealed. “However, now Jonglei State has its payment structure for its MPs, Lakes was approved SSP 500,000 and Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has its own and this means that each state has its payment structure.”
On her part, the Acting Minister of Information and Communication in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Abuor Gordon Nhial, said she was not aware of complaints from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State legislators over pay.
“I came from Juba on Wednesday and although I am acting minister of information and communication, I did not receive any complaints from the parliamentarians,” she stated.