Yiep Joseph
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ramadan Goc. [Photo: PPU]
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ramadan Goc urged the non-governmental organizations to respect the laws guiding tax collections in South Sudan.
According to the statement obtained from the Presidential Press Unit, Goc made the statement during the media briefing after President Salva Kiir met with Nicholas Haysom, UN Special Representative to South Sudan, and Amb. Joram Mukama Biswaro, the Head of the African Union Liaison in South Sudan, on Monday.
“Goc went on to say that the exemption of UN-imported items will be subject to South Sudan’s laws and regulations and that it is not a privilege that NGOs should take advantage of,” he said in the statement.
Meanwhile, the minister said both leaders discussed ways forward in regard to the upcoming elections.
Goc, who attended the meeting, added that the elections would be held at the end of the transitional period.
According to the statement, both leaders met to discuss the country’s readiness to conduct general elections at the end of the transitional period.
Based on the statement from the Presidential Press Unit, Haysom said they talked about how important it is to be prepared for the elections.
Recently, the United Nations urged South Sudan to remove the newly imposed taxes and charges that led to the suspension of U.N. food aid for thousands of people who depend on outside aid.
The U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Agency said in a statement that the pausing of airdrops in March had deprived 60,000 people who live in areas that are inaccessible by road of food, and their number is expected to rise to 135,000 by the end of May.
The U.N. said the new charges would have increased operational costs to $339,000 monthly, which it said is enough to feed over 16,300 people.
The new charges introduced in February 2024 are related to electronic cargo tracking, security escort fees, and new taxes on fuel.
The trade ministry’s orders last week, announcing the tax, said the $300 charge on each goods truck entering and leaving the country was intended to help the government maximize revenue collection by addressing undervaluation and fraud.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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