By James Innocent
Authorities in Yei River County have conducted a one-day meeting to discuss taxation policies and mechanisms to regulate commodity prices.
According to the local authorities, the current policies have contributed to the hike of commodities prices in the county.
The meeting was attended by representatives from government institutions, citizens, traders and the media.
The Commissioner, Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa, said there have been signs of hardship like people committing suicide due to high commodity prices and inflation.
“Two people have taken their lives this month alone in Yei River County. There is a rise in theft cases as many shops have been broken into,” the commissioner mentioned.
He added that the police also reported that between January and July, a total of 58 cases of theft have been recorded.
“These are indicators of hunger because the people are not producing adequate food and there is less cash money in circulation this year,” he said.
The commissioner urged traders to engage in agriculture to produce their own food instead of relying on imports.
Mr. Cyrus, however, stated that the county budget is being prepared to collect taxes from traders and businesses as required by law, noting taxes are needed to provide government services.
The commissioner further wants foreign traders to focus on wholesale and investment to allow local traders to grow.
The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Luwate Justin Rafael, highlighted challenges traders face like high taxes and paying taxes multiple times.
He called for qualified tax collectors to understand taxation mechanisms.
“The government needs to know about profit taxation mechanisms because officials sent to the field should be qualified people not just nominated from families without education to work in that field of service,” he stressed.
Richard Nelson, a trader in Yei, called for refresher training for revenue collectors to avoid problems with business community.
He said without traders, there is no income for the county.