South Sudan salaries payments, where does the money go?
By Maker Costa
August 12, 2007 — The issue of salaries has become a chronic disease that is paralyzing the apparatus of the state in Southern Sudan. Many southerners, including myself, have been complaining all along as to why SPLA soldiers’ salaries are not paid in a regular fashion despite the 40% budget allocated to them, but no explanation whatsoever from the GoSS has surfaced, at least of yet.
Also, some concerned southerners have recently illuminated the problem of the government workers’ salaries in southern Sudan which is even worse, in terms of delays, than that of the SPLA salaries. Now, if everybody else in southern Sudan doesn’t receive his/her salary, where does the money go?
In order for us to find some answers for this question, let’s first figure out what money does come into GoSS treasury. Even though my estimates are somewhat hypothetical, they closely depict the real digits or what should have been the actual situation.
In an interview with Radio Rumbek in June this year, President Salva Kiir complained that southern Sudan share in oil has been reduced from $105 millions to $40 millions a month only. That was an acceptable excuse but we would assume that GoSS has been receiving $105 millions each month for the past two years until the reduction occurred recently; thus, GoSS has at least received $2.5 billions so far in oil money. That is one source of income for GoSS.
Another source of revenues for GoSS is customs taken on the boarders especially in Kaya and Nimule. As a matter of fact, most commodities in southern Sudan now come through these two towns. Some of us find it reasonable to put the estimation around the same amount southern Sudan receives from oil money, but being cognizant of the fact that the money is shared fifty- fifty with GoNU, we would put the estimate at half that amount, i.e., roughly $1 billion (close to what GoSS has reported) in the last two years.
Yet another source of income is the donors’ money despite the strings attached to it by the donors, some donors’ money did find its way to the GoSS treasury. The GoSS head of mission in Washington DC, Mr. Ezekiel Garkuoth, told us once that the US government gives southern Sudan around $700 millions annually and that he does receive the money. In addition, US was/is not the only donor but other Europeans partners are there, more committed than the US itself, so let’s assume that they have given some money also; hence, the estimation would be around $1 billion in donors’ money.
Even though there are other sources of revenues for GoSS like the revenues from local markets, land allotment, all trade licenses, and many, many others, we will put this estimation at zero, just for simplicity. Let’s just go for $2.5b + $1b + $1b = $4.5 billions which is the approximate amount received by GoSS in the last two years, at least.
Having estimated the money that comes or that came to GoSS in the last two years, let’s now see what could have been the expenditures that, allegedly, sucked in all that huge amount of $4.5 billions without even proper payment of salaries.
Let’s assume that the SPLA has received its 40% of that amount which is around $1.8 billions. Now, where did that money go if most SPLA soldiers did not receives their salaries for several months? I did go to many areas in the south recently visiting Yei, Nimule, Rumbek, Juba, and many other areas where SPLA soldiers are concentrated; in fact, most SPLA soldiers have now spent eight months without receiving their salaries, a very worrisome fact. How come that the very people who gave it all and fought for all of us are now being treated as the underdogs? Just put aside that sympathy, who will fight again in the looming war ahead? Is it not the SPLA? $1.8 billions are enough money to have covered the salaries of those soldiers together with their basic equipments. Therefore, the problem is not that there is no money, but the real problem is the leadership and the leading people both in uniform and in GoSS. Big officers of the SPLA are now among the wealthiest Africans, why not and they have looted almost $1.8 billions in just two years. If you happened to have visited south Sudan lately, you must have noticed the flocks of unassigned major generals who are depleting the resources of our army, one of whom would have several government cars and many other privileges. In other words, there are too many major generals in the SPLA than any army could afford, worse, they are only a burden because they provide no services to the army. Somebody has got to do something because that situation is completely unacceptable, we can not continue to see our soldiers unpaid despite the huge amounts of money allocated to them. The SPLA General Chief of Staff and his big general have to account for that $1.8 billion, it is just a shame on them that their soldiers continue to serve for free despite the huge amount of money given to them.
The other $2.7 billions out of the $4.5 billions went to GoSS and the ten states of the south. In this regard, I would say that states of the south have received very little from GoSS; for instance, Lakes State annual budget from GoSS is $11 millions which means that Lakes State has received $22 millions only in the last two years. As such, I have every reason to believe that the other nine states budgets are at around the same as that of the Lakes ($22 millions each). This puts the money allocated to all ten states at around $220 millions in the last two years, but including the extra money allocated to states because of the failed 200-days program, let’s put the estimate at $300 millions. $300 millions only for all ten states! Now who delivers services: GoSS or States? Aren’t states the ones that deliver services, at most? If yes, how come they get only $300 millions (6.67% of the south budget)?
Anyway, it has now boiled down to that GoSS has taken $2.4 billions, that is, 53.3% of the south budget in the last two years despite its meager role in service deliverance. Let’s assume also that GoSS has spent $400 millions for its own activities, even so we would still ask: where did the remaining $2 billions go?
Big questions, very little and vague explanations
Some would argue that the remaining money has been spent on development. Oh really! I thought there was no development at all in the south; in fact, donating some $80 millions to WFP (UN) in order to poorly open some old roads is too meager to qualify for the term “Development.” Oh, I also forgot to mention the infamous Al-Cardinal contract: giving away $95,000 for one car and buying 450 cars at such a rate is no development, that is almost half a billion dollar wasted, or looted, to be precise.
When I was in Juba recently I talked to one of the former commanders of the SPLA, who is now a senior official in Juba, about the rampant corruption that is now jeopardizing the cause. Here is what he had to say: “I find it ironic that you people would want us to continue sacrificing despite our great sacrifices of fighting for you for free; in fact, we will continue to totter like this until we cross the river….” Interpretation: he meant that it is time for them now to have their part of the cake, as we in the Diaspora are thought to have benefited on the expanse of those who were in the front lines. Well said our general, that is exactly what we want, but in a rightful way. We want the money to go to all those poor soldiers who fought the actual war, not the few elite in the SPLA who were often time with us here in the foreign countries. I bet, all Diasporas are complaining not because they want money for themselves, but they want the soldiers to get their rightful salaries, it is just ridiculous that they spent eight months without pay. The notion of few generals and big officials buying flamboyant houses in the most affluent capitals of east Africa and even here in the US really pisses people off.
In a time when everybody is worried about the consequences of referendum, the last thing we want to do is mistreat our army. Those folks have given it all during the war; as a result, they deserve the first money that comes in for the south.
Parallel to this, government’s workers throughout south Sudan are also facing difficulties with their salaries payments. As I was in Rumbek recently, I witnessed some events that depicted it all. Students in Rumbek went to the streets because their teachers were not paid for almost six months, they destroyed both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education premises; worse, it was all done when Salva Kiir himself was on a visit to Rumbek. It looks like that the very little money that comes to states does not make it to its rightful hands either, but it ends up in intermediaries’ hands. In other words, states’ officials are of the same trade as those of GoSS, they suck in peoples’ money.
Lastly, our leaders need to understand that liberation is not only to rid out oppressors, but also to implement the principles on which the liberation struggle started in the first place. Liberators must remain incorruptible; otherwise, their image will hardly be differentiated from that of the oppressors.
* Maker Costa is a Sudanese based in New York. He can be reached at [email protected]