The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) has defended the USD 15,000 which was dished out to each lawmaker as medical allowance despite the economic hardship the country is going through.
Responding to the reactions of the public on social media about the allowance, John Agany Deng, the chairperson of the TNLA’s Information, committee, said the money paid to the parliamentarians is meant to help them deliver services to the citizens.
“The little money that has been received by the honorable members is just to help them since they are the people working for you. Please, they deserve that because they are your leaders,” Agany said.
Last week, each parliamentarian received USD 15,000 (SSP 9.75 million) to cater for their medical expenses. Many social media commentators said the legislators only serve their personal interests at the expense of civil servants who go for months without pay.
Agany reacted angrily to media reports and social media comments which criticized the parliamentarians, saying 60 members of the TNLA had died due to lack of medical allowances and poor pay. He said the legislators earn a paltry SSP 9,400 which is meager compared to legislators in the region.
He said this is the second time they have received an allowance in a tranche, the first one being in 2018 when they received an allowance to buy vehicles.
“In 2018 we were given USD 50,000 as car loans. We were given USD 25,000 and the other remained with the government but we did not quarrel and we left it like that,” he said. “We were never given (money) all these long three years. So you can answer the question of how frequently we receive money yourself.
Agany revealed that the cabinet is working on a supplementary budget that will include the enhancement of civil servants’ remuneration and that it will soon be tabled in parliament.