By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
An activist and the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Mr. Edmund Yakani urged President Salva Kiir Mayardit to avail political leadership in protecting National Revenue Authority (NRA) from interference with its functions.
The activist added that there should be political leadership to genuinely fight corruption around management of public funds in any institution of the government.
He stated that, one of the areas that require proper dialogue for improvement of non-oil revenues sustainable collection and saving is the difference between the State and national revenue administration on items of taxation at each level of the government.
In a statement extended to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Mr. Edmund Yakani urged the President to commission serious State revenue institutions and NRA dialogue for reaching decision on proper revenue administration and management.
President Salva Kiir in a meeting with the NRA Commissioner General on Wednesday said openness is the biggest challenge facing smooth running of National Revenue Authority as it struggles towards performing its task to accumulate and save the non-oil proceeds.
“Openness or transparency in the governance of revenue and public funds is the cornerstone for measuring efficiency and effectiveness of institutional performance for meeting standards of best practices for successful and sustained non-oil revenue collection and saving,” Yakani underscored in his statement.
He said NRA is weak when it lacks top political leadership support for executing their tasks professionally without any form of interference.
“CEPO is urging H.E. the President to avail political leadership on protecting NRA from any non-interference with their functions including political leadership for genuine fighting of corruption around management of public funds in any institution of the government,” the statement partly read.
Yakani stressed that CEPO is raising voice on the government commitment on enhancement of transparency and accountability on matters of revenue administration and management including genuine fighting of corruption.
“Openness or transparency in the affairs of revenue collection and saving it concrete on the foundation of non-interference in the affairs of the revenue governance in any form being it political, procedures for expending decision and sometime saving defense and security priority,” he underlined.
“For sustainable and transparent administration of our non-oil revenue collection and saving to take place including strong stand for fighting corruption, it primarily requires top political leadership support for smooth function of the National Revenue Authority,” he concluded.