June 21st 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan lawmakers on Wednesday refused to approve a government annual budget proposal over delay by the government to pay civil servants and the military.
Speaking during the parliamentary session that was eventually called off, Elizabeth Adut, a member of parliament, disclosed that because of the late payment of salaries and the deterioration of the economy, the country’s army forces have opted to earn a living by selling charcoal in the market places.
“Our army is cutting down trees to make a living, our foreign missions are closed … it is now almost one year we are unable to pay them,” she said.
“Our teachers are not being paid. What are we doing? We are now presenting a new budget while our salaries are not being paid,” she added.
Due to budget deficit, government this month decided to close down several diplomatic missions and announced that more embassies are also closing too.
Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said South Sudan’s fiscal policy “has been weakened by the loss of fiscal discipline, deteriorating public financial management, and contracting of non-transparent oil advances, which have increased corruption vulnerabilities. Shortfalls in revenue translated into deep cuts in expenditure for other budget.”
