Salary delay causes grave concerns in Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria
By Isaac Vuni
March 12, 2007 (TORIT) – The Eastern Equatoria state spokesperson, who is also the minister for Information and Communication, Ben P. Loky said council of ministers has, today, in emergency meeting, directed all government units in the state to prepare their pay sheets based on new exchange rate of SD 200 per dollar than SD 230 per dollar.
Briefing journalists after emergency meeting, Loky said Cabinet took the decision in order to rescue families of employees now going without money since February this year. He appealed to all employees to accept what he term, emergency remedy and assured them that minister of finance has been directed to immediately go for further follow up in Juba.
He also appealed to Goss ministry of finance to rescue state authority before their workers could go on rampage.
According to director general for Administration and finance, Alfred Kayumba Tugul, there are 8464 employees in the state excluding six staff, 17 chiefs and 26 staff on causes in Khartoum and 60 in Juba.
He says, at the rate of SD200 per dollar, the due amount to the state would be SD 247, 64,900 but only SD 242,372,900 was remitted by Goss ministry of finance to eastern equatorial state account with a deficit of SD 5,276,100.
Salaries and allowances in southern Sudan are fixed in U.S. dollars, which are paid in equivalent local currency, are paid at the current rate of exchange at the time of payroll.
The employees of the state were previously paid at the rate of US$ 230 that US$ 250 budgeted in the Goss ministry of finance and no clear explanation was given to employees to date.
(ST)