Emmanuel Adil Anthony, Governor of Central Equatoria State during the 5th Governors Forum in Juba. Credit: Charles Wote/Eye radio

The Office of the Governor of Central Equatoria state has distanced itself from a leaked document that showed a company was charged more than 600,000 SSP in taxes.

In the leaked receipt dated 13th January 2022, the State Revenue Authority ordered O.J Services, a Juba-based company to pay a total of 659,650 as taxes to the authority.

The company was issued a 24-hour ultimatum or else he faced a punitive measure, compelling the proprietor to comply with.

The order indicated that the payment is for the financial year 2022-2023.

These include 540,000 for advance stamp duty cost, 30,000 SSP as state development tax, 70,000 SSP for operations license, 10,250 SSP for billboard advertisement and 5,000 SSP as tax clearance certificate.

Other taxes include 11,000 SSP for business identity cards, and 150 SSP for stamp duty.

A tax officer Eye Radio withheld his name and said they were implementing a gubernatorial order.

Derick Derickson is the press secretary in the governor’s office.

He confirmed that the leaked document is authentic.

But he said the tax rates were a decision of the state council of ministers, not Emmanuel Adel’s.

“What happened was not a gubernatorial order. It was not a decision of the governor himself, but it was a resolution of the council of ministers after deliberations on the drafted Tax schedule that the institution brought which it was passed provisionally for it operationalization awaiting the yet to be inaugurated State Transitional Legislative Assembly,” Press Secretary in the governor’s Office said.

Three months ago, the new mayor of Juba city told Eye Radio he was going to address complaints of traders on exorbitant taxes as one of his top priorities.

Prior to the dismissal of ex-mayor Kalsito Ladu, traders had launched complaints against the council over what they called unreasonable fees imposed by the authorities.

The complaints noted by the Chamber of Commerce, prompted the institution to take up the matter with the city council.

The Chamber of Commerce, in November, threatened for the second time to drag to court the city council for over-taxing traders in Juba.

This comes after it received more complaints from traders in the capital, saying the council continues to demand unreasonable fees.