By Yiep Joseph
Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has accused state governors and chief administrators of misappropriating and exploiting the minimal state resources for their personal gain
Yakani claimed that most taxes intended for services have been embezzled by the leaders, leaving many areas without essential services such as health, education, and clean water.
“We are aware a huge number of state governors take PIT (personal income tax) as their personal source of revenue rather than state social revenue,” Yakani said.
“Governors are milking state revenue, and some chief administrators are also milking Administrative Areas revenue; they are taking revenue for their personal gain, not for the best interest of our citizens,” he added.
Activist Yakani claimed that despite the economic crisis facing the country, there is a continuous lack of transparency in the collection and use of personal income taxes in the states and administrative areas.
“We are aware there is a huge deficit in transparency in the collection of revenue at the state level, also we are aware that some state cabinets are not aware of the amount collected as state revenue,” he said.
The activist claimed that some state governors and chief administrators have paralyzed the state revenue authority’s performance in generating state revenue due to constant interference.
Yakani determinedly called the office of the president to establish a monitoring mechanism to enhance and evaluate the performance of the governors in regard to the implementation of the 7th governor’s forum that includes transparency.
“That is why as civil society during the 7th governor’s forum we have demanded the office of the President to establish an evaluation and monitoring Mechanism” he said
He urged state governors and administrators to use state funds for citizens’ benefit, stressing the need to rescue citizens amid current countrywide flooding.
He claimed that the governors and administrators continue to ignore the recommendations and resolutions of the 7th governors.
The activist called on the government and UN agencies to first evaluate the implementation of the previous forum before supporting the next forum.
“Without evaluating the performance of state and chief administrators in implementing the agreed upon resolution and recommendation of the 7th governor’s forum, we are doing nothing; we are only creating and financing a political tourism space for governors to market themselves for retaining and demanding the retention of them to stay in offices,” he said.
Several contacts made to some state officials to comment on the accusation were not successful.
However, Nyamar Lony Jonglei, state minister of information and communication, refuted the accusation expressing that her state government is working hard to see that PIT are directed to the services of the people.
She added the current governor of Jonglei state is working hard to deliver services but declined to explain how they are using the taxes.
“The current governor has just taken the office, and now they are working together with the deputy governor to get the budget to see how this PIT will be able to save the people of Jonglei,” she said.