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JUBA - 7 Oct 2019

Over 1,300 civil servants illegally employed: cabinet

Photo: Cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuro
Photo: Cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuro

At least 1,332 civil servants in government institutions were illegally employed and not through the labour ministry as required, a government official said.

 “So people are just being employed, whether they are qualified or not qualified, depending on who is the leader, either at the top or somewhere in the middle at the ministry,” cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro told reporters after the cabinet meeting in Juba on Friday.

“Some of them were even promoted by the institution itself which is illegal,” he added.

Lomuro further said a high-level committee instituted by the labour ministry found that there are 17,601 civil servants, of which 14,009 were physically present while 3,052 were absentees.

“We found 6,114 employees out of 14,009, but we could not locate any record of their education,” he explained.

Lomuro pointed out that there are 10,381 out of the 14,009 government employees who are due for promotion, but are not being promoted.

“People are stuck, they have not been moving forward,” he added.

The headcount, according to the minister, also showed 50 percent of the country’s civil servants are between 27-44 years. He, however, said 588 of the employees are above the retirement age of 65 and should not be in the country’s system.

The council of ministers also approved 17 recommendations aimed at strengthening the labour ministry, according to Lomuro.

He said a similar exercise will be conducted in all the country’s states for a complete national exercise for reforms in the public service.

A cash shortfall has seen government employees go unpaid for four months, labour minister James Hoth Mai told Radio Tamazuj last week.

South Sudan heavily relies on oil revenue.