Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Commissioner General of the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) has called for a review of the country’s tax and customs laws to ensure a more unified and efficient collection system.
Simon Akuei Deng said this review would clarify which taxes should be collected by the national government and which should be handled by state governments.
Mr. Akuei explained that the current tax system lacks coordination, creating a burden for businesses.
Addressing a trade forum held in Juba, the revenue chief argued that some taxes currently collected by the states should instead fall under the national government’s responsibility.
“We need to review the 2009 Taxation Act and the Customs Act. We also need to introduce a new law—a Tax Harmonization Act—to clearly define which taxes are for the national, state, and local governments.”
“Right now, the governors are setting their own rules on tax collection, but this isn’t based on law. Some of these collections, like business profit taxes in Central Equatoria, shouldn’t even be happening.”
Akuei further said multiple illegal revenue collections are taking place and that double taxation of businesses needs to stop.
“There are too many illegal fees being collected—like mayoral management fees with strange names. These create double taxation, especially in Juba, where the same businesses are being taxed by both the national and state governments.”
“This needs to be resolved, and soon we’ll introduce Electronic Tax Receipting machines in hotels, apartments, and restaurants to make tax collection more efficient.”
In November 2021, President Salva Kiir warned that states and government institutions should not interfere with non-oil revenue collection, following a heated debate at the Governors Forum.
A workshop held in May that year clarified which levels of government should be responsible for different taxes, with the National Revenue Authority offering support to states to improve their tax systems.
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