By Bida Elly David
The mayor of Juba City Council yesterday issued an order banning collection of revenues or taxes from traders by Islamic Council or any unauthorized institutions saying that the authority shall undertake serious punitive measures against the violators.
This order came following military intervention of the Islamic Council into the market to evict traders who formerly rented plots to run their enterprises.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Michael Lado Allah Jabu said that the Islamic Council has militarily threatened traders to pay more taxes or evict them with immediate effect.
“The Islamic Council has interfered militarily within the territory of Konyo-Konyo market claiming and threatening the innocent traders to pay them multiple taxes and threatened to close shops severally in the market causing tension in the city” the Mayor said.
“This confrontation meant to acquire financial resources by all means led to bloodshed and insecurity that may result into serious demonstration. This is against the national, state and Juba city policy for harmonization taxes to reduce skyrocketing prices in the market,” the mayor stressed in his order.
He said the order shall not only subject the Islamic Council but any illegal entity who claim to impose financial burden to traders within markets under the jurisdiction of the City Council.
Mayor Allah-Jabu underscored that Islamic Council as a religious entity doesn’t have any right to claim ownership of land in the market unless given by the city council for religious purpose.
“In exercise of powers conferred upon me by Gubernatorial Decree No.50/2021 dated 19th November 2021 of the governor, CES read together with section 57 and the operationalization of section 40(1) of the local government act 2009, I Michael Lado Thomas Allah Jabu mayor of Juba City Council do hereby issue this local order for the banning and restricting of revenue collection of any type by unauthorized institutions, companies, individuals, private and religious entities and only authorized government entities respectively,” the order partly read.
The mayor also said that the order also criminalized contrary practice of revenue collection by any unauthorized body as mentioned in the date of issue.
He as well called on those involved in illegal collection of taxes to immediately refrain from the act or face punitive measures.
He further ordered immediate withdrawal of any security personnel deployed by any of this illegal institution not under the jurisdiction of the city council out of the market.
“Security forces not under the jurisdiction of Juba city Council are reminded to relocate to their rightful duty stations wherever they may be and to desist from any interference with regulation and reorganization of any activity within markets in Juba City council. All those involved in these illegal acts are reminded to refrain from this practice forthwith otherwise punitive measures shall be enforced against them once apprehended,” he said.
However, mayor Allah-Jabu said any illegal institution who shall be traced collecting money from traders for any unknown reason for violating the order shall be apprehended and fined the sum of five Hundred Thousand South Sudanese pounds (500,000SSP) or face two months’ imprisonment.
He stressed that defaulters shall be subject to application of other relevant laws in South Sudan including Juba City Council by-laws 2013 amended 2020, Penal Code Act 2008 and any applicable laws.
He echoed that the authority would not tolerate any mischief from any institution claiming to dictate them and they would undertake measures as a government to ensure execution of justice.