By Bida Elly David
South Sudan National Revenue Authority (NRA) has extended implementation date of Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) device to a later date.
This decision was made following a recent meeting between the Commissioner General of the South Sudan NRA, Africano Mande and the Commissioner General of the Ugandan Revenue Authority last week.
In a statement seen by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, the NRA said implementation of the electronic cargo tracking device might derail as some importers and exporters are ignorant of the plan.
“Following the meeting between the commissioner general of South Sudan Revenue Authority and the CG of Uganda Revenue Authority held in Kampala on the 6th –March-2024, it was resolved that the enforcement period for the newly introduced mandatory ETCN has been too short,” the statement reads.
The statement stated that some importers and exporters also missed out on complying with the ministerial order.
“It is therefore in that regard that the meeting resolved to extend the grace period to 15th –March 2024,” it further added.
The NRA however, noted that no importer or exporter will be allowed to load and move towards and outside the Republic of South Sudan without full compliance with the mandatory ETCN after the deadline.
Last week, the National Ministry of Finance and Planning issued an order for the operationalization of Electronic Cargo tracking notes at the border points.
According to Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol, the sole purpose of the device was to help the government of South Sudan maximize its revenue collection.
It remedies the challenges of underestimation, undervaluation and diversion of Cargo round-tripping.
The introduction of the electronic Cargo tracking Note aims at monitoring the outflow of goods from South Sudan and the inflow of goods from other Countries.
The ECTN will be applicable to all cargo carriers of exports from South Sudan and cargo carriers of imports into South Sudan.
In a letter dated 1st-Feb-2024, Commissioner General of South Sudan National Revenue Authority (NRA), Africano Mande made official communication to his Kenyan counterpart on the implementation of the venture.
Meanwhile, South Sudan has been struggling with cases of illegal undeclared entry of goods into the country. Some of the goods are expired while others are of substandard quality.
For instance, in 2022, the National Ministry of Trade and Industry testified illegal night entry of sub-standard commodities into the Country by some traders.
Former undersecretary of the ministry, Mary Akec affirmed at the time that sub-standard goods were being smuggled to the country at night when border officials go off duty after eight hours of operation.
Not only that in October last year, the National Bureau of standard saved the Country by impounding 62 trucks full of afro-toxic grains.