President Salva Kiir. (Photo/Office of the President/March 4, 2024).
President Salva Kiir relieved the Commissioner for Customs Service of the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) Brigadier Gen. Aduot Ajang on Friday, after appointing a new finance minister amid a worsening inflation.
Kiir removed Gen. Ajang in a presidential degree read on the state-owned television SSBC, and no replacement was named.
The former tax official introduced a mandatory directive to charge a $350 per container to all goods destined to South Sudan as levy for the so-called Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) on March 1, 2024,
The levy for the digital document used to monitor and track cargo movements to ensure compliance with regulations and enhance security, was adopted following an agreement between Juba and Ugandan firm Invesco Uganda Limited.
The implementation of the ECTN system has resulted in delays in cargo clearance at Kenya’s Mombasa Port and the Uganda-South Sudan border point.
Kiir said – during the oath-taking ceremony of Finance Minister Marial Dongrin – that revenue being collected end up in individuals’ accounts, pointing to the situation as the reason why he frequently sacks officials.
The new finance minister has promised to pursue realistic and viable actions to address South Sudan’s dire economic crisis.
South Sudan is suffering from inflation after the Sudan conflict damaged facilities transporting its chief crude oil to the Red Sea. This has caused drastic depreciation of the national currency and diminishing purchasing power of citizens.
Public sector workers including the organized forces have not been paid for 10 months and the government has been operating for more than a month without a new fiscal year budget in place.
Gen. Ajang was appointed in November 2023 – replacing Major Gen. Akol Ayii Madut who was dismissed from the position in August 2022.
Mr. Ayii was removed after the Economic Crisis Management Committee recommended that President Kiir should replace him and several former customs officials due to allegations of corruption.
In a similar decree, Kiir appointed five technical advisors to the South Sudan Revenue Authority, National Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Peace Building and National Ministry of Investment.
Mr. Aggrey Tisa Sabuni and Mary Paul Ngundeng were appointed as Techical Advisors to the SSRA, and Mayen Wol Jong as Technical Advisor to National Ministry of Petroleum.
The Head of State named Rachael Nyadak Paul as Technical Advisor to National Ministry of Peace Building, and Albino Chol Thiik as Technical Advisor to National Ministry of Investment.
Kiir also relieved several lawmakers in Northern Bahr el Ghazal namely; Hon. Angelina Aweng Abraham Akoon (SPLM-IO), Garang Chan Atak (SPLM-IO), Ajar Mataya Maringa (SPLM-IO), James Jel Ting (SPLM-IO), and Riak Ariek Awutiak (SSOA).
They were replaced by Santino Garang Awech (SPLM-IO), Phillip Akok Deng (SPLM-IO), Awaya Awaya Makuei (SPLM-IO), Theresa Alor Aduk (SPLM-IO), and Abukk Reech Kuol (SSOA).
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