By Bida Elly David
National and foreign operating companies in South Sudan have raised concerns over rapid and double rental charges imposed on them by government and landlords making it difficult to understand rental policies.
Satimon Mogga a Company’s Director exclusively disclosed to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday that they have been battling payment of double rental charges to both government and landlords whose building have been rented as offices.
Satimon said that government has been indicting fifty thousand South Sudanese Pounds (50,000SSP) as office rental fees for domestic and foreign companies in the country apart from the monthly rental payment to landlords.
“We truly don’t understand our government policies regarding rental fees. Out of what we pay to our landlords as Monthly rent, the national government charges us fifty thousand South Sudanese Pounds (50,000 SSP) as money for office rent yet we have been paying $300, 400 as rental fees to land lords,” he said.
Another Company’s Director in the country who chose to remain anonymous also said the initiative of imposing rental fees on tenants instead of charging the owners of the buildings was invalid and unjust.
“Government was supposed to collect rental fees from the owners of the building but not from landlords because we have been paying a lot of money to them. Some offices are rented for 800$ even more. This decision is not fair and in fact it is one of the ways to chase investors from South Sudan as well as a policy of jeopardising the progress of domestic companies,” he asserted.
He added that if South Sudan Company’s act is in support of such initiative, there must be need for that article to be revised by the parliament for the progress of the country.
“Both foreign companies and domestic companies in the country work for the purpose of bringing development and if the Company’s Act is in support of the initiative where companies are charged by two different institutions, then there is need for the parliament to look into that for the country to move well’’ he emphasized.
The companies have urged the government to eliminate the double rental charges cost and consider it under the responsibilities of landlords or landladies for positive investment.
Meanwhile access to reach one of the concerned government authorities for their reaction on the matter were futile by press time has several attempts went unanswered.