Commercial trucks convoy from Uganda. - Courtesy

The imposition Electronic Cargo Tracking Note at Nimule in Eastern Equatoria has slowed down the clearance of goods and created a built-up of trucks at the border point, a clearance agent said.

The Electronic Cargo Tracking Note is a mandatory document for shipping goods to several African countries.

In March 2024, the Commissioner for Customs Division introduced the mandatory e-cargo tracking system for all imports and exports to and from South Sudan as importers fume over a 350-dollar service charge.

Daniel Deng, a clearance agent based in Nimule said many of the users are not familiar with the system, making it difficult for them to get certificates as fast as they can.

“There is a slow clearance of customs that is taking place due to the new policy that was imposed by the government,” Deng said.

He encouraged all importers to acquire the necessary documents when transiting to South Sudan to ease the certification process at the border point.

“This is the policy that is helping the government to collect the data from where the goods are loaded to their final destination, South Sudan.”

“The problem is sometimes the users are new to the system and it takes long for them to get the certificate as fast as they can.”

The e-cargo tracking device contains detailed information about the shipment, enabling the clearance of the cargo by the authorities with an ECTN number for easy tracking.

The certificate is key in watching over and managing how cargo is moved as it gives the authorities quick and clear details about what the cargo is, how much it’s worth, and where it’s going.

This helps in stopping illegal activities like fraud, under-reporting the value of goods, and smuggling.

It also ensures that there is accurate record-keeping, and the right taxes are paid for everything that comes into these countries.