SOUTH SUDAN CABINET CUTS DOWN SALARIES

September 14 2008
Daily Nation On Line
JUBA, South Sudan

In a Council of Ministers’ resolution passed on Friday, the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) finally resolved to cut down salaries, emoluments and entitlements for constitutional post holders in the region.

For the last three years, various organs and levels of government in Southern Sudan imposed unequal salary structures for their respective constitutional post holders, some paying higher than normal.

According to data presented at last month’s meeting of the Council of Ministers, the governor of Jonglei State was the highest paid in the 10 Southern Sudan states, earning 17,650 Sudanese pounds (SDG), about $8,800, monthly.

The least paid governor in the 10 states was the one from Western Equatoria State, who was paid 9,150 SDG ($4,550) monthly, including basic salary, emoluments and entitlements.

After a one-week scrutiny by a ministerial committee formed according to a resolution passed on August 29, 2008, the council has comparatively adopted the salary structures of northern Sudan for all levels of executive organs.

The resolution, which is yet to be decreed into effect by the GoSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit, will finally standardise and equalise, after three years, salaries, emoluments and entitlements of GoSS and state ministers, advisors, governors and commissioners at various levels of government.

According to the resolution, for instance, all 10 state governors will now be receiving an equal basic salary of 1,200 SDG ($600) monthly plus emoluments and entitlements adding up to 10,950 SDG ($5,475), exactly the same as those of GoSS ministers.

Lump sum

Emoluments and entitlements include cost of living allowance, representation allowance, accommodation allowance, travel allowance and housing subsidy.
Some of these are not supposed to be paid on monthly basis, but in lump sum when necessary.

The decision has affected post holders’ salaries by a reduction of up to 20% to 35% or a 5% to 10 % increase from the previous irregular monthly salary structures. (Suna)