The South Sudanese Finance Ministry has announced that all civil servants in the country would be paid their five-month salary arrears before the Christmas and new year period.

“The Ministry of Finance is processing all of the remaining civil servants’ salaries, which will be disbursed as soon as possible”, Finance minister, Agak Achuil Lual said on Tuesday.

Lual, who was appointed by the president last month, vowed to fulfil his promise of ensuring the salaries of all civil servants are paid promptly.

“Our clear mission of delivering services to the people of South Sudan will allow us to begin the New Year on the right paths,” he said.

The Finance minister on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to the speaker of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly, during which he communicated his ministry position on civil servants’ salaries.

“It was my pleasure to brief Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of the Re-constituted Transitional National Assembly as well as her Deputy Hon. Permenah Awerial Aluong on the subject of paying civil servants’ salaries before Christmas”, he stressed.

Last month, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir sacked the Finance minister over allegations that he declined to disclose the amount of money in the national treasury and failed to pay civil servants on time.

Civil servants in the young nation often say for several months without pay, with authorities attributing the delays to lack of revenue. More than 90% of South Sudan’s annual budget depends on oil revenues.