Cabinet unveils salary acceleration system
On 23 December, South Sudan’s Council of Ministers endorsed a purpose-built payment channel to clear salary arrears haunting civil servants and the organised forces.
Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr Martin Elia Lomuro called the scheme “a morale booster that cannot wait,” stressing immediate transfers by the Finance Ministry to safeguard household stability across the country.
Presidential backing remains consistent
Observers recall President Salva Kiir’s repeated instructions to prioritise salaries, a stance he first voiced during 2019 fiscal tensions and has since reiterated at nearly every budget retreat.
By formalising the directive through a specialised mechanism, the cabinet hopes to convert past pledges into predictable cashflow, limiting bureaucratic lag and restoring trust between state and staff.
Health transformation fund faces headwinds
The same sitting heard warnings that the nationally praised Health Sector Transformation project, once buoyed by the World Bank, risks stalling as global financing cools.
Ministers debated raising domestic contributions to shield clinics from external shocks and to keep essential drugs, vaccines and salaries moving toward rural counties.
Security and reform memos on the docket
Cluster leaders tabled briefings on security deployment, revenue diversification and digital tax stamps, aligning proposals with the government’s 2026 roadmap for peace and prosperity.
Dr Lomuro described the exchange as “evidence-based scrutiny,” adding that only policies with clear costings and citizen impact metrics will progress to the legislative agenda.
Economic outlook cautiously optimistic
Economists in Juba view the salary clearance plan as a short-term liquidity injection that could stimulate local markets, yet they caution that sustained revenue collection remains essential for macro stability.
Finance officials insist oil receipts and non-oil taxes can underwrite the initiative without triggering inflation, citing improved export prices and tighter customs oversight.
Public servants await first disbursement
Civil service union leader Sarah Nyaboth says rank-and-file workers are “hopeful but watchful,” expecting the first tranche to hit accounts before the new year.
If funds land on schedule, analysts predict a tangible morale lift, curbing strikes and reinforcing faith in state institutions after months of delayed pay.