Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly has urged the Ministry of Finance and Planning to prioritize the welfare and medical funds for lawmakers, noting that the house has lost 15 members from various constituencies since April 2024.
Speaking during the inauguration of the first session of the national legislature in Juba on Wednesday, July 16, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba asserted that “healthy MPs mean a healthy Parliament,” implying that the well-being of legislators is crucial for an effective legislative body.
She highlighted the financial hardships faced by lawmakers, stating that they have gone “for months without salaries, medical allowances for the last two years, no means of transport and other privileges.”
Nunu added that some Honorable Members of Parliament were unable to travel to their respective constituencies during the recess due to the non-disbursement of funds for that purpose.
Additionally, MPs with various medical conditions have reportedly been unable to get treatment to date, and at least 15 have lost their lives.
“I must first pay special homage to all our beloved colleagues, the brave Honourable Members of the Legislature, who, sadly, left us last year. Indeed, it is sad to recall that during the last session, the National Legislature lost 15 of its members since April 2024 from various constituencies.”
“I therefore appeal for the inclusion of the medical funds for the Honourable Members of Parliament in the top list of the priorities of the Ministry of Finance,” Speaker Nunu urged.
She also revealed that a “good number of activities had to be shelved due to lack of funds,” as the National Legislature received only about 40 percent of its allocated budget for the 2024/2025 fiscal year.
This is not the first time the welfare of lawmakers has been a point of contention. In July 2018, parliamentarians received a $40,000 car loan from the government’s treasury.
More recently, in September 2022, the then Minister of Finance, Dier Tong, promised the payment of medical allowances to lawmakers.
This promise came after the August House passed the fiscal year budget without incorporating a new salary structure for civil servants and soldiers, and after legislators complained of facing health issues.
However, some MPs have previously claimed that the lack of health allowances has directly led to the death of some of their colleagues.
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