By Yiep Joseph
Warrap State Revenue Authority has suspended all activities of National Revenue Authority (NRA) in Kuajok main market.
According to an order dated 5th December 2024, Warrap State Revenue Authority Commissioner General Ngor Dhuol Mangong withholds all NRA activities within the market.
“The order shall be cited as Executive Order No. O21/2024 for the suspension of National Revenue Authority activities within Kuajok main market and shall come into force from the date of its signature by the commissioner general of state revenue authority,” the order partly read.
Although the state revenue commissioner general did not reveal in the letter the specific reasons behind the suspension of the NRA activities, he echoed existing outstanding issues between the national and state revenue institutions.
State Commissioner General Dhuol cited in a letter that it was a directive from the state Minister of Finance to suspend the activities until the misunderstanding is resolved.
“Based on the directives from the Honourable Minister of Finance, Planning, and Investment, Hon. Ngor Dhuol Mangong, Commissioner General of State Revenue Authorities, I do hereby order the suspension of National Revenue Authority activities at Kuajok main market, w.e.f. 5th December 2024, e.g., collection of business profits tax and any other related taxes until we shall sit to solve the outstanding problems among the two institutions,” the statement read.
Dhuol copied the state governor and security organs and urged them to implement the order as instructed.
“All security organs are directed to implement the order accordingly,” the statement read.
However, recently the business community in Kuajok, Warrap state, complained of serious taxes.
In an interview, Wol Gai, a trader in Kuajok, claimed that both the national and state officials collect similar fees differently, hence exhausting the traders in the market.
He called on the government to harmonize their taxes in order to reduce the burden on traders, as the unnecessary tax always increases prices of commodities.
Wol added that some of the reason for the taxes collected by both the state and national government is always similar duplication in the tax system.
In most cases, traders in South Sudan continue to express disaffection with the multiple taxation and arbitrary levies imposed on their business by government agencies.
The taxes and levies were introduced by the Juba City Council, National Revenue Authority, and Civil Defense and Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Interior.
The unnecessary taxes include ground rent, security fee, collection fee, general service fee, service fee, rental income fee, CID fee, government property charge fee, national and state revenue authority fee, fire brigade certificate fee, mayor fee, waste collection fee, and others.
Meanwhile, recently, the 8th governor’s forum resolved to remove all unnecessary or illegal taxes in the country to ensure the smooth running of businesses.