JUBA: South Sudan’s parliament has clarified that a recently approved medical allowance for lawmakers applies only to currently serving Members of Parliament, following concerns raised by former legislators who were excluded from the payment.

The Parliamentary Information Committee said the US$5,000 allowance was issued exclusively to current MPs as an emergency measure to address growing health concerns within the legislative body.

The clarification comes after complaints from some former lawmakers, whose appointments were revoked, argued that the payment should be treated as part of outstanding arrears owed to them for their time in office.

However, Information Committee Chairperson Oliver Mori Benjamin said former MPs are not entitled to the medical allowance, but may instead qualify for separate post-service benefits. He explained that those benefits must be processed through parliament’s accounts department and the Ministry of Finance.

Benjamin said the decision to release the emergency medical funds followed serious concerns over the welfare of lawmakers, noting that more than 100 Members of Parliament had died over the past two years.

The government has also confirmed that the remaining portion of the approved US$30,000 support package has not yet been paid.