South Sudan’s General Education and Instruction Minister Awut Deng Achuil has warned of the closure of schools countrywide due to accumulated salary arrears.
Deputy Information Minister Jacob Maiju said on Friday that Minister Awut raised the concerns at the Council of Ministers meeting, warning that public schools across the country may shut down if salary arrears are not settled.
She also raised concern over the results of the last examinations, about which the new Finance Minister pledged to find a solution because it is an obligation to ensure children do not drop out of school.
“The new Minister of Finance took it upon himself to solve the teachers’ pay issue when the budget will be presented and approved by the Cabinet,” Maiju said.
He said the Cabinet was expecting to retable the new 2024/25 budget that was rejected following the changes made to it.
“We were expecting the submission of that budget today [Friday], but because of the changes in the Ministry of Finance and the new minister taking the oath of office today, we will expect it next Friday. Then we will deliberate and have it passed,” he said.
On Thursday, Kiir sacked Finance Minister Wow Daniel Chuang who was just four months into the job, the sixth replacement in the post since 2020.
South Sudan’s economy has been under pressure in recent years, with crude oil export revenue having dwindled since a 2013-2018 conflict and, more recently, export disruptions due to war in neighbouring Sudan.
President Salva Kiir on Friday admitted that civil servants and soldiers had gone unpaid salaries for nine months, blaming it on the mismanagement of the money collected from non-oil revenues.
Professionals with monthly salaries ranging from $10 to $50, such as teachers and doctors, have also experienced protracted payment delays.
The parties have only been able to partially implement the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, which brought together the government and former armed opposition groups.
The aftermath of the civil war in the country continues to be felt, with an estimated 9 million people out of 12.5 million people needing protection and humanitarian assistance.
On Independence Day, President Salva Kiir appealed to the citizens to unite and focus on improving economic growth.