Articles and Analysies
Abused Downsizing in Lakes By: Helen Andrew
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Apr 6, 2009 - 11:04:27 PM

Abused Downsizing in Lakes

By: Helen Andrew

 Lakes state over the recent months has been enervated by insecurity and maladministration besides corruption, illiteracy, high cost of living, unemployment, diseases, hunger, calamities(floods) to mention but a few. Lakers have extensively written on the first two but this time around, I'd bring to fore what is termed by the state government as downsizing.
It's unfortunate that the South-wide exercise has been grossly abused in the Heart of South Sudan by corrupt elements in the state. I have a number of reasons to justify my statement:

1. Last year, South Sudan Legislative Assembly wanted the salaries of constitutional post holders slashed by ten per cent this year, this hasn't been implemented to the dismay of the citizens in the state. If a minister or a commissioner is paid SDG 9800 a month while a Director General (Assistant Minister) is paid 2400, what an inequality, where is economic justice? What does the minister do that the DG doesn't do? The SSLA must make sure salary reduction for the constitutional post holders is implemented. The constitutional post holders are annually paid heftily in allowances and privileges, they don't deserve gross monthly salaries of that much again.

2. Nearly all those downsized were people who'd spats with their superiors, the directors and ministers. An assessment ought to be done to establish which positions were more essential than others before the "disastrous decision". Government has no mechanism in place to verify whether or not employees were sent home candidly.

3. The decision to downsize was pronounced as early as last August. until the implementation date, there was no percentage set for it. For this, downsizing in the state is colossally flawed. People have even been replaced with relatives of the 'big men", beautiful girls have been retained, people verbally told to remain at home inter alia.

4. The exercise was dubbed downsizing, a new term was again introduced "downscaling". Those who used to be in grade 7 were taken to grade 10. The defenseless workers could not question the bosses for fear of losing their jobs. Some lucky ones maintained their grades but had their salaries less by between SDG100 and 300. GOSS, was this also in your plans?

Logically salaries are reduced to provide for a deficit in the budget or to pay new but crucial employees. In the wake of downsizing, what will the cuts be used for? For financing the Deputy Governor's journey to Canada? If one receives different amounts every month, what does it portray? For instance, I was paid SDG 1169 in January 2009 and in February of the same year I pocketed 980 and when I asked the Cashier why this disparity, "FROM ABOVE," he replied me. Mr. President, we're weak and have suffered enough, come to our rescue. Chol Acinbai, Rumbek