It was both extraordinary and encouraging when South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) announced collection 112 billion South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) in non-oil revenue within the first 15 days of July.
What stands out even more is the wider context; the SSRA raised a total of 984.4 billion SSP in non-oil revenue so far in 2024-2025 fiscal year. Such a staggering leap from 2017–2018 figure of 700 million SSP reflects a reinvigorated era of fiscal mobilization.
Such figures indicate that the government of South Sudan’s fiscal reforms and digitization efforts spearheaded through the nation’s revenue authority are now yielding substantial results. A performance that is worth commending. So “Kudos” SSRA.
The contribution of the citizens and business should not go unnoticed and unappreciated. These actors equally complied with the government systems, a sign of growing public trust. Your efforts and continued compliance with the SSRA systems are equally appreciated.
This shift towards substantial non-oil revenue collection is long over development that inspires economic stability and resilience especially for a country like South Sudan that had long depended heavily on oil revenue.
As the saying goes, “the payment of good work is more work”, such achievements bring with them greater responsibilities.
Such success by the revenue authority must now be reflected by strong commitment to a transparent and more accountable use of public funds. Citizens will no doubt pay close attention to how this money is being used to improve livelihoods.
Improvements in health systems, education, road infrastructure including public service will now be closely monitored. The absence of visible positive impact by such gains may just be seen written as figures intended to present an impressive image of the nation’s systems rather than an instrument that drives changes.
As the government pats itself in the back with this well-deserved recognition, it must set new standards in fiscal openness. This entails issuing quarterly reports on revenue utilization, conducting thorough audits of public expenditure, and engaging civil society in oversight efforts.
It is only through such measures that the SSRA’s hard-won gains can foster sustainable development and rebuild public trust in state institutions.