Trucks at the Nimule Customs yard | Credit | Deng Daniel

The electronic tax system installed at Nimule border point to ease movement of imports and exports, is reportedly an obstacle to the same purpose, as more than 300 commercial trucks get stuck for days at the southern border.

Clearance agent Juma Jacob says the trucks entering the country from Uganda and Kenya, have been in Nimule due to agents’ insufficient knowledge of the technology.

Juma says the mix-up is a result of a lack of experience among customs officers, adding that they are not well-oriented on how to use the electronic tax system.

“We have some issues in Nimule, we have the conjunction of the trucks in Nimule. Nimule is now going almost for two days without a truck being released in Nimule,” said Jacob.

“We have issues of clearing agencies that have been in cooperative in the system of E TAX government, and these based to be given to agencies.”

The new system was intended to ease the movement of goods and people as well as to enhance transparency in revenue collection.

However, it was faced with numerous challenges including delays in approvals, lack of electricity, and slow internet connection on the first day of its implementation.

Juma said the 300 business trucks are in two parks in Nimule town.

According to him, more trucks are also waiting to clear from Elegu in Uganda, to cross into Nimule.

Juma added that the implementation of the new electronic tax system is supposed to start on the 1^nd of January 2023.

“Unfortunately, the agent found that this agreement was supposed to be implemented on the 1st of January 2023. The amount was $250 that have to be paid per consignment to the clearing agency, the broker for the facilitation process.”

“We have got the notification that we have to receive $110, so in the process there are differences, some of the money has been deducted somewhere and we don’t even know, and we have something like 150 to 300 trucks if we combine them even the fuel trucks, they are even in the parks.”

Last year, the National Revenue Authority introduced an electronic tax portal that will be accessible to all taxpayers within the Republic of South Sudan.