A member of parliament has accused the Ministry of Finance of a “terrible scandal,” claiming that the government is issuing cheques from an account with insufficient funds, which he described as a crime.
During a session of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Majak Abraham, a lawmaker representing Bor County, Jonglei State, expressed his frustration and alarm, stating, “I have information about a scandal unfolding in the country.”
Abraham pointed out that while many lawmakers had received their salaries for July, the cheques were not backed by sufficient funds, questioning the legitimacy of such actions compared to issuing cheques from an account with no money.
He also raised concerns about the unpaid salaries of the country’s “liberators,” emphasizing the unfairness of the situation where parliamentarians were paid while those who fought for the nation’s freedom remained unpaid.
Abraham challenged the Ministry of Finance to provide clarity on the government’s financial status, suggesting that if there were insufficient funds, they should consider it as a voluntary service for the nation, but if there were funds, everyone should be paid in full.
In response, the Right Honorable Speaker, Parmena Awerial, recognized that the issue of unpaid salaries and the lack of sufficient funds in banks had been raised multiple times in the assembly. He supported the call for accountability by suggesting that the Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Bank, and the Commissioner General of the Revenue Authority should be called to explain the situation.
Awerial also highlighted the importance of the parliamentary Committee of Finance looking into the matter to ensure that all institutions are paid and that cheques are honored.
