Economist Abraham Maliet Mamer speaks on Eye Radio's Sundown Show. Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo: Awan Moses).

Economist Dr. Abraham Maliet Mamer has suggested the enforcement of law against tax-collecting government agencies refusing to remit such revenues into government coffers, as dozens of institutions were recently exposed for the malpractice.

The Economic Cluster listed fifteen non-complying and seven partially-complying revenue collecting agencies on February 24, and directed them to fully remit their dues into the Ministry of Finance and Planning’s bank account.

Among the non-complying agencies are the Ministries of Wildlife, Tourism and Conservation, Electricity, Environment and Forestry, Civil Defense, Education, Lands, Health, Finance, and South Sudan Prisons Service.

Other non-complying institutions include South Sudan Media Authority, Roads, Urban Water Cooperation, and Juba Teaching Hospital.

Meanwhile, the cabinet ministry listed partially complying institution including Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, National Communication Authority, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority.

Others are Directorate of Traffic Police, Petroleum Ministry and the Directorate of Civil registry, National Passport and Immigration.

Reacting to the move, Dr. Abraham Maliet Mamer, emphasized the importance of monitoring mechanisms such as formation of an investigation committee to ensure compliance with the order.

Mamer said it is important that the Economic cluster is not happy with the way other government institutions are not paying remitting their collected revenue, but doubted the compliance aspects.

“I don’t see that there will be a lot of impact if you don’t reinforce that with the law. Those who are not paying, there should be no debate about it. It is a matter of compliance,” he said in an exclusive interview with Eye Radio.

“So, if the Minister of Finance is not complying, if the judiciary is not complying with money that they collect, if other institutions that belong to government are not complying, it is not a matter of order, it is a matter of enforcing it.”

Dr. Mamer also suggested for a formation of a committee tasked with the responsibility of prosecuting institutions that are not complying with the order issued.

“Those affected by the order should completely sit down by themselves, see how much money they collected, and then justify why they’re not remitting it.”

“If they don’t do so, the higher authorities will come to the form committee, give them the task of prosecuting them. That’s what I would think would make an impact. But otherwise, they have been on since my committee three years ago, they have not been compliant.”

He said for the last decade, there has been a number of companies and government institutions, which either evaded taxes or refuses to remit already collected revenues.

“The whole thing is not only the institutions, but there should be the root cause of it. Why are they not remitting? What is the government doing? Circular is okay, but we have to make sure that circular has got a justification.”

Transparency International has ranked South Sudan as the most corrupt country in the world in 2024, having scored the lowest index among 180 countries.