Traders in Juba say they are harassed and intimidated everyday by tax collectors from the City Council.

They say the tax collectors are nowadays charging them what they call service fee – something they do not understand.

Each shop owner is forced to pay an amount ranging from 25 to 50,000 pounds monthly, claiming that it is an order from the Office of the Mayor.

“They will just come, look at your shop and tell you to pay a certain amount. They don’t care whether you can make it or not,” complained a shop owner in Malakia.

The tax collectors allegedly manage to do this with the help of police, mainly in Konyo-konyo, Malakia and Kator.

And any shop owner who tries to question them is threatened with detention or closure of his or her shop.

“Is it a must for me as a foreigner to help mayor and why should I give services to him. Come to me in a good way and i will do it. We are told to pay services and by force,” added another trader in Kator.

The Juba Council is yet to comment on this allegations.

This is the second time this year traders complained about extortion by the Juba City Council.

In March, the speaker of Juba City Council Legislative Assembly appealed to the government to look into the traders’ problems including the property lost in the wake of the 2016 renewed conflict.