The transitional government has said it has ordered the National Transitional Committee (NTC) to avail funding for the striking national members of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC).
“As a government, we have already issued directives to the NTC- the body in charge and they are supposed to prepare a budget. Unfortunately, the NTC did not do it so we are waiting for them to present their request,” the Minister of Information, Communication, Technology and Postal services, Michael Makuei Lueth said.
Makuei said they decision was taken last week, adding that NTC never took action on the matter.
The NACAC national members who are on the pay roll of the government laid down their tools demanding to be paid outstanding salaries for past ten months.
NCAC is composed of 15 members, two are non-nationals and 13 are nationals representing the Parties to the Agreement and stakeholders.
The two non-nationals are supported by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the other 13 nationals are supposed to be facilitated by the government.
NCAC since October 2018 to date has reviewed and submitted to the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs 18 Amendment Bills – including the Constitutional Amendment Bill that incorporated the Revitalized Agreement into the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan, 2011.
However, there are still critical pending laws that need to be reviewed to facilitate the implementation of the roadmap fully.
The NCAC has been consistently presenting its budget annually to the NPTC/NTC. Literally the budgets of the mechanisms were approved, but NCAC only received an initial payment of 0.5% of the amount in 2020.
“Despite the enormous work involved and challenges of lack of facilitation, the Committee has been working for nearly three years without payment. During these periods, the NCAC has continuously followed up on the issue of payment but to no avail through various offices of the Government including the NTC; Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs; Minister of Peace building; H.E the First Vice President; H.E the Vice President in charge of the Economic Cluster; Minister for Presidential Affairs; Minister for Finance and Planning and the Minister for Cabinet Affairs,” it said in a statement last week in Juba.
It disclosed that the First Vice President and the Vice President in charge of the Economic Cluster wrote directing the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to make payment of the NCAC dues, but no payments have been made to date.
