By James Innocent
The newly installed Commissioner of Yei River County, Emmanuel Taban Seme, wasted no time in taking action.
On Tuesday, August 20, 2024, he conducted his first meeting with the State and County Revenue Authorities to discuss taxation policies within the county.
The meeting brought together the top leadership, including the Director of the Central Equatoria State Revenue Authority and other key stakeholders.
Commissioner Seme stressed his commitment to supporting the government and called on the state government revenue authority to address the challenges facing the revenue authority in the county.
This, he said, would enable the delivery of better services to the citizens and help taxpayers understand the purpose of their contributions.
Seme assured the State Revenue Authority that the government collects taxes to fund service delivery for the citizens.
He urged the concerned revenue authority to control the revenue flow and denounce corruption through accurate financial practices at the state level, in order to support the county in times of need.
The Executive Director of Yei River County, Mr. John Hillary Konga, mentioned the challenge facing the county’s development efforts.
He stated that the majority of the revenues collected in the county are diverted to the security services whenever security issues arise, leaving limited resources for the county’s developmental needs.
The Director of the County Revenue Authority, Ms. Adoru Rose, provided further insights.
She acknowledged that the county has few resources, but both the county and state revenue authorities, including the national revenue authority, collect taxes from all the traders within Yei.
However, she pointed out that the majority of these tax revenues are directed to the security sector in the county, rather than being allocated for development projects.