JUBA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on Tuesday openly expressed frustration and apologized for his administration's "failure" to deliver essential services including paying salaries for servants.
In his televised speech to mark the eighth independence anniversary, Kiir also apologized to the people of South Sudan for the pain and suffering caused by years of conflict.
"I want to sincerely apologize to you (citizens), my people, on my own behalf and on behalf of the government over the failure of my government to pay salaries of our civil servants on time," Kiir said and vowed to personally follow up on the matter.
Kiir however observed that through the revitalized peace deal, the country will thrive and stability will be restored, adding that the national pre-transitional period committee is doing its best to effect the implementation of the September 2018 deal.
The president cautioned against war over political differences, saying "any matter can be resolved round a conference table".
"I am fully aware that our people are angry because of the difficult living conditions imposed upon them by insecurity and economic hardship," he said.
"I recognize that from the time we earned our independence in July 2011, our desire to develop credible good governance system for the management of our institutions has been interrupted particularly by the internal war that erupted in December 2013," he said.
Kiir said the full implementation of peace agreement would result in a thriving economy and better delivery of services to the people.
South Sudan is struggling to increase production of crude oil, months after the signing of the peace deal in September 2018. Currently it pumps about 175,000 barrels per day of crude oil.
The country depends heavily on oil revenue to finance its fiscal budget, but oil production was disrupted following outbreak of conflict in December 2013.
The oil-rich nation in January earned 14.2 million U.S. dollars in non-oil revenue for the first time under the non-oil revenue mobilization and accountability project supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
