Matia Samuel
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Traders in Juba decried what they described as unjustified taxes from different government levels putting more burden on the consumers.
Speaking to The City Review, Mary (not her real name), who sells clothes at Custom Market, said multiple taxes still remains their greatest challenge.
“Five years back the situation was a bit okay, the city council was fair but at this point, charges are too high.”
Mary said claimed that the city council tasked with garbage collection is not doing so consistently and as a result, she has to pay an extra person to collect them. This happens at the mercy of the city council officers.
“If you bring somebody to take the garbage the city council arrests them and you (the trader) will be fined for paying someone else to collect the garbage,” Mary said, adding the fines hit SSP 60,000.
Mary says beside the fine, there is another payment known as ‘ground rent’ which is SSP 12,000 per month, but only SSP10,000 is recorded in the receipts.
Some of the payments that traders face every month include service fees of SSP 150,000 for six months, monthly security fees of SSP 4,000 for small shops and SSP 8,000 for bigger shops.
“They said they are providing security yet shops are being broken into and our things are being stolen.”
She said some of the security personnel resort to generating petty offences like inspecting the tables they use.
“If they find it dirty, a trader is subjected to pay an unspecified amount of money which is determined by the size of the business.
According to her, they often pay SSP 30,000 for the tables which they term “taxes for the tables.”
“If you complain, they will charge you to put your case in their file. It is according to the goods you have; they just look at your shop.”
She said in a month they spend about $600 just on taxes excluding the license and fines are paid with immediate effect.
Mary pleaded with the government to address the issue of multiple taxes and charges to reduce the burden on the consumers.
Earlier this year, Robel Habton, the chairperson of the Eritrea Business Association in Juba City alleged that city council officers keep disturbing the traders through numerous irregular taxes that heighten their cost of operation.
“City council normally tax me three times a week…more than SSP 90,000, and while my income is ranging from SSP 70,000 to SSP100, 000 per week, I am making losses,” Robel added
The first deputy chairperson of the National Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, John Lual, last week called on the government agencies to reduce taxes on goods.
Lual said South Sudan has no shortage of goods in the market but the higher prices are fueled by other factors such as over-taxation.
He said the reduction of multiple taxes would help curb the skyrocketing prices in the market.
“The city council [officers] normally move with a padlock in their hands from shop to shop terrorizing our business people with their taxes. I called on the acting mayor and the national government to [review] all the taxes.”
The City Review contacted the acting Juba City Mayor, Emmanuel Khamis, to respond to the allegations but he referred this reporter to the Chief Executive Officer, Simon Wani. When contacted, Wani said he “could not discuss such matters on phone.”
“If you want particular information about that, come to the office. I am busy now doing other things.”
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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