National Revenue Authority office in Juba | Credit | African Development Bank

The National Revenue Authority has informed the parliament that the country has lost almost forty billion South Sudanese Pounds in the last three months alone.

The Acting Commissioner-General of the NRA attributed the loss to tax waivers between June and August 2020.  

Erjok Bullen was among officials invited by the Assembly Business Committee over the week to explain why the country’s economy was deteriorating.

Legislators of the yet-to-be reconstituted national parliament had summoned the Minister of Finance, Central Bank’s governor and the acting commissioner-general of the Revenue Authority. 

They appeared on Friday before the select committee where they presented their assessment of the current economic conditions and status of oil and non-oil revenue collection.

Honorable Paul Yoane Bonju, who was part of the assembly committee inquiry said they were told that non-oil revenues were not being collected as expected.

“The total amounts actually lost is 38, 239, 418, 474 pounds,” said Hon. Yoane.

“The revenue is lost through the UN agencies, non-government organization, the diplomatic missions, faith-based groups, including churches, fifth through the government and lastly [some] companies,” he added.

Similarly, the Economic Crises Management Committee last week discovered that $3.1 million were missing at the Directorate of Nationalities Passport and Immigration.

The traffic police headquarters has also been accused of not accounting for funds collected through the issuance of number plates, licenses, logbooks and other charges.

Honorable Yoane said the loss of public money is unacceptable.

“The ABC has the necessary leverage to find out exactly who is behind this authorization because sometimes directives come from above to release or exempt the goods of company A, B and C -forgetting that this money belongs to the people of South Sudan,” he asserted.

The committee has instructed the Acting Commissioner-General to submit a list of institutions enjoying the tax waiver.

The Economic Crisis Management Committee established by the President last month is also conducting investigations into the exemptions of imports, and trail unaccounted monies by the country’s revenue-generating institutions.

Three other senior government officials plus the Minister of Trade are also expected to appear before the Assembly Business Committee next week.