Lakes state finance ministry withholds county salaries

June 5, 2015 (RUMBEK) – Civil servants in Lakes state counties are at odds with the finance ministry, which withheld their payments over failure to submit financial reports.

Six counties, officials told Sudan Tribune, are yet to submit their reports to enable the ministry track how grants allocated to the county authorities were utilised.

The counties include, Wulu, Yirol West, Cueibet, Yirol East, Awerial and Rumbek East.

The director general in the finance ministry, Dut Riak said money would be withheld until county officials submit their financial reports.

“We need papers that tell us how money was used. We wired money through their accounts, but reports on how money was used were not presented,” said Riak.

He says they still demand accountability reports from as far as August 2014.

“[For] those counties that brought in their financial reports about the usage of conditional operating costs, we are prepared now to release their salaries,” said the official.

“There are some counties that have brought in their operating cost financial report on how the operation cost had been used. But if there is no financial report, we suspend the money until you bring the financial report explaining how you used the money because we account for this money to the national government,” he stressed.

He said the money would be released as soon as they get the accountability reports.

Lakes state has, in recent week, experienced unexpected increases in prices of essential goods and services, with a litre of fuel now priced at SSP 16 from SSP 10.

(ST)