By William Madouk
Four employees of South Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority are at risk of losing their jobs after the Transport Ministry raised concerns over staff receiving salaries from more than one institution.
Transport Undersecretary and Acting Minister Paul Dhel Gum disclosed this during the welcoming ceremony of the new Director General of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority yesterday.
Dhel said the ministry had received reports of Civil Aviation employees who are also working for other government institutions.
“There are some names that have been reported to us in the ministry. These people, they get salaries at Civil Aviation. Two of them are officers in the army. And they are also employees of the Nilepet. And at the same time, they are employees of Civil Aviation.”
He said the government would move immediately against those identified.
“We are going to terminate those people immediately. They will not continue to be here.”
Dhel did not name the employees, but said the new Director General must look deeper into the authority’s workforce to identify how such arrangements were allowed to happen.
“If we can identify four people, then I believe DG get deeper down, don’t be at the top. You need to sink to find out where the loopholes are that are allowing the employees of other institutions to be employees of Civil Aviation.”
The minister said the issue was not only about multiple salaries, but also about fairness to Civil Aviation employees who depend on the institution for their jobs.
Dhel said complaints about unequal treatment of staff and resources had already been raised at board meetings.
“One of the things that we always hear at the board meetings from some of the staff here, people are not getting equal treatment when it comes to resources. And that’s dangerous.”
“The moment one person feels he or she is not getting what his or her rights are, and the other person who doesn’t deserve it is getting, then we have created the conflict.”
Dhel said employees from other institutions were taking opportunities and resources that could otherwise benefit Civil Aviation staff.
He gave an example of how the authority’s resources could be distributed among its own workers.
“Because if I bring somebody from the Ministry of Health to work as a senior person at the Civil Aviation, and maybe getting $500 a month, that $500, if you distribute it to messengers here, to get 250, they will appreciate you more than the person who will just come during the salary day and take it and go away.”
The acting minister called for a comprehensive review of the Civil Aviation Authority’s human resources.
“We need to review the human resources of the Civil Aviation Authority together with the board of directors. And we will put everybody where they belong.”
“So that the outsiders are not given a chance to invade the institution and take advantage of the silence of the leadership to disadvantage the staff of the institution.”
Push for aviation laws
The payroll concerns come as the Transport Ministry is also pushing for changes to the laws governing South Sudan’s aviation sector.
Dhel said the ministry had submitted several laws to the Ministry of Justice, including two related to Civil Aviation.
One proposed law concerns the investigation of air accidents and incidents.
He said the ministry was engaging the Office of the President to have the law operational through a presidential order while the country waits for a new parliament.
Dhel pointed to the recent plane crash at Luri, saying authorities had formed an investigation committee but conducted the process without a specific legal framework.
“Because now, in the latest incident of the air crash at Luri here, the committee was formed, the investigation was out, but we did all the operations without a guiding legal instrument.”
He said the proposed law would provide a legal basis for future investigations.
“So that law is important, and I will pick it up, and I will make sure that the presidential order is issued on that to ensure we have the law in hand to regulate how we investigate the air accidents.”
The second proposed law would establish an Airports Authority with autonomous powers to manage airports across the country.
Dhel said the authority would have a legal link to Civil Aviation but would operate independently in managing airports and providing services.
“We need to have airport authorities that have a legal link to the Civil Aviation, but operate with autonomous powers. So that the management of the airports across the country is not interfered with.”
Under the proposed arrangement, Civil Aviation would remain the main regulator of the aviation sector, while the Airports Authority would manage airport operations.
“Civil Aviation will continue to be the mother unit in regulating the aviation sector in South Sudan, while the airport authority manages and provides services at the airport level.”
Dhel said the legislation would help clarify responsibilities and protect jobs within the sector.
“This law will separate powers. Yes. This law will separate powers, and will at least ensure job security so that what people are talking about here, that there’s a fear, it shouldn’t come.”