Africa-Press – South-Sudan. By Yiep Joseph
MPs to the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) have been told to stop being ‘rubber stamp’-approving the policies of the executives without assessing public benefits.
The call comes after the R-TNLA passed the emolument and privileges bill, which awarded the lawmakers a whopping SSP 800,000 monthly salary alongside other benefits.
Yesterday (Monday) Members of Parliament passed an emolument and privileges bill that gave the right to receive 800, 000 South Sudanese Pounds as monthly salaries and enjoy other privileges like cars, security, among others.
A move that arose public concern to why such a thing happened when the government usual complained about lack of resources to facilitate peace agreements and other programs.
In an exclusive interview with Juba Monitor, Edmund Yakani Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) supported the initiative and called on the lawmakers to be active members ready to debate things that affect the lives of south Sudanese and the public and stop being rubber stamp.
“We need our parliamentarians to get such money(salary), be active, prevent corruption that may happen against other sources of revenue, and stop being a rubber stamp,” Yakani said.
He urged the MPs to completely fight for corruption in all the institutions in order to improve the living standard of the citizens, citing that it will be a great benefit to the public to see their MPs fighting for citizens’ rights rather them their own.
He said the emolument and other privileges will only be of great benefits to the citizens if the MPs later focus on fighting corruption.
Yakani called on the MPs to also restructure other civil servants’ salaries in order to suit the market.
“If the MPs restructured their salaries and they failed to restructure other civil servant salaries then they are not MPs for us, they are for themselves” he complained.
Prof Abraham Matoch Dhal,Vice-Chancellor of Dr John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology said that the payment of MPs well will eradicate corruption.
“If the emolument is efficiently good for the MPs, then the issues of corruption are actually reduced because the accountability now will have a room, why do you have a good salary and also be corrupt and begin also not to work hard” Matoch said
“And if the corruption is reduced and poverty eliminated among the public and sector employee there is hope that people will start to think on how they will improve the economy of the country” he added
He said that people have to be paid according to the responsibilities in the country, citing that an MP is not a normal person but a lawmaker in a higher institution of check and balance that deserves to be treated well.
“If paid well, they will be concerned with the economy of the country, things like contracts will be well checked, things like bribery they will be well checked and things that drain the resources will be well checked, that is to say there will be check and balance,” he said.
He revealed that there would be maximum accountability in the country if MPs are well paid.
Raja Galady, one of the economic analysts at the University of Juba said that the fat salary of the MPs must also be followed by restructuring other civil servants’ salaries and the army in order to bring inclusivity in salary structure.
She called on the MPs to put more efforts on check and balance and end all sorts of corruption in the country.
“How can you get for yourself that huge money and leave behind the citizens suffering with less salaries amidst this current economic crisis,” Raja said
Meanwhile, Deng-Bil William, a member of the public called the emolument bill a “safe yourself first initiative” by the MPs.
“Rewarding yourself with huge salary while citizens are suffering is a bad idea” he said.
He called on the MPs to also restructure salaries of other institutions in the country.
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