South Sudan lawmakers told to open bank accounts for emoluments

By John Agok

South Sudan members of parliament have been told to open bank accounts ahead of plans to pay them huge sums of money to kickstart their work in the august house.

Both the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and Council of States were opened by President Salva Kiir on Monday.

According to the speaker of Parliament, Jemma Nunu Kumba, opening the accounts will allow for channeling of the MPs’ emoluments as quickly as possible.

“I have directed the administration of two houses to workout little funds for settlement of MPs, although the other portion will be pay later,” Kumba said.

“Some of the members here have no bank accounts to transfer money to, so please open your bank accounts for money to be transferred before the end of the week and the other remaining portion will follow later,” she said.

The last parliament in the country received as much as $40 000 for buying vehicles in one go in July 2018.

The amount to be dished out this time around has not been revealed.

South Sudan currently has 550 members of parliament, expanded from 330 from the last house.