Africa-Press – South-Sudan. By Bida Elly David
Central Equatoria State Chamber of commerce over the weekend said that merchants in Kubri –Haboba market have indicted80 Security officers over illegal charges imposed on their goods.
Speaking to Juba Monitor yesterday, the Chairperson for Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce Robert Pitia said that traders in Kubri-Haboba market have been provoked by Security officers to pay cumulative fees without clear justification of collection.
Pitia reiterated that about 80 CID officers including join operation officers have been involved in the exercise of collecting illegal fees from foreign and domestic traders in Kubri-Haboba market.
Furthermore, Pitiya said that Security officers especially the Criminal Investigative Department(C.I.D), as well as the joint operations, has got no mandate to participate in tariff collection rather their role was to handle issues to do with crimes regarding thefts and claims of people’s property.
‘’Most of our traders in Kubri-Haboba Market have been faced with a series of provocation by Security officers forcing them cumulative fees without clear justification of collection. 80 CID officers and joint operation officers have been involved in the exercise of collecting illegal fees from foreign and domestic traders in Kubri-Haboba. Security officers especially the Criminal Investigative Department (C.I.D) as well as the joint operations have got no mandate to participate in tariff collection rather to handle matters regarding crimes of theft, murder and others but not collecting money from the traders’’
Pitia termed the illegal exercise carried by the security officers as a bandage of encroachment without limit and urged them to immediately stop threatening the traders in the market creating a passive business environment and fear to them.
He added that if security officers could collect charges from traders, then tax authority department has been neglected and underestimated. He called on foreign and domestic traders to avoid panicking as they were working harder to settle the matter with the Commissioner of Juba County.
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