Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The outgoing Deputy Commissioner General of the South Sudan Revenue Authority, Taban Abel Aguek, has warned his successor against granting tax exemptions, saying it threatens the country’s revenue collection.
President Salva Kiir appointed John Mading Bol Makuach as the new Deputy Commissioner General through a decree read on SSBC on Monday.
“My dear brother John Mading, Deputy Commissioner General, I want to give you three pieces of advice, and the first is about exemptions. That’s where the real battle begins. I personally never granted exemptions, and your challenge will also come from there. You are going to be the Deputy Chairperson of the Exemption Board, not the Chairperson, but when the board rejects someone’s request for a 40-million-pound exemption, people will blame you,” he said.
During a handover ceremony held in Juba on Wednesday, Taban, who served for ten months, said exemptions have weakened public institutions and contributed to economic instability.
He also warned that rejecting exemption requests often draws personal blame, even when decisions are made by the board.
“If we start approving exemptions just because of political pressure or fear of losing our jobs, we won’t be able to collect enough revenue. People are now treating exemption letters like accreditation letters, and it was that same kind of letter that once brought down the central bank,” he added.
Taban urged the new leadership to resist pressure and focus on protecting the country’s revenue base.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
