SSRA reports more than SSP 140 billion in August revenue collection
The South Sudan Revenue Authority collected more than 140 billion South Sudanese pounds in August as the government continues efforts to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization and tax compliance, the authority said Monday.
The revenue performance was presented during a meeting of the Ministerial High-Level Committee on Economic Reform, chaired by East African Community Affairs Minister Pieng Deng Kuol.
SSRA Deputy Commissioner General Solomon Ariik Manyok represented the authority at the meeting and briefed the committee on recent revenue collection.
The authority said September revenue figures were not yet available because the deadline for tax payments and reporting is Sept. 15. It said the figures would be presented after the deadline and expressed optimism that September collections would show further improvement.
The committee was also told that cash revenue collection was progressing well, with commercial banks and the Bank of South Sudan supporting efforts to strengthen formal revenue-collection mechanisms.
Public Service and Human Resource Development Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth said banks had reported progress in revenue collection and improved taxpayer compliance. He urged businesses to meet their tax obligations and make payments on time.
Finance and Planning Minister Kuol Daniel Ayulo also called on businesses to pay taxes in cash, saying government revenue is needed to meet its financial obligations.
Ayulo said improved revenue collection had helped the government pay salaries for civil servants and security forces while meeting other obligations. He also urged mobile network operators to pay their taxes on time.
The SSRA said its revenue mobilization efforts had been supported by cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Economic Reform Committee, established by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to strengthen domestic revenue collection and address revenue leakages.
The authority said it would continue working to improve tax compliance, strengthen revenue systems and make tax administration more efficient and transparent.
“Revenue belongs to the nation,” the SSRA said, adding that effective revenue collection enables the government to pay salaries, provide essential services and support development priorities.
The authority said challenges remain in revenue administration but maintained that progress is being made in strengthening the country’s domestic revenue base.
