Members of parliament and cabinet ministers have not been paid since being sworn in on September 16.
Minister of Finance Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molio’o confirmed this week that payments for the period ending 14 October have not been processed.
She told a press conference that delays are due to administrative and budgetary adjustments under the government’s emergency budget, which is currently sustaining operations.
“We are managing under our emergency budget,” Mulipola said.
She added that while the Ministry of Finance is working urgently to finalise the required documentation to release salaries there was no specific timeline for payments.
After the budget failed in May, 25 per cent of the previous year’s budgetary allocation was approved for the government to use for three months.
Nurses and police officers have also gone weeks without pay as ministries continue operating with limited funds.
The Ministry of Health has cut back salaries and overtime due to budget shortfalls, leaving essential workers struggling to cover basic living expense.
