This came after President Salva Kiir assented to the Financial and Appropriation Acts on November 25, therefore actualizing the 4.2 trillion South Sudan pound fiscal year budget which imposes heavy taxation.

The financial act introduces tax increment in Customs Merchandise Conversion Rates, Personal Income Tax, Business Profit Tax, Excise Duty and Customs Levies.

“I would like to announce to you all here that today on the 2nd of December 2024 by midnight last night the system has changed, incorporating the new financial act,” Akuei said.

He made the announcement during the opening session of a One-day workshop on the operationalization of the new act, at the SSRA Headquarters in Juba on Monday 2nd December 2024.

He added that when the institution’s technocrats studied the finance act, they realized there are two charges for items some in US dollars, and others in SSP.

“The rate that was there was 300 but according to this bill, presentation will be made by the legal team, it is actually in the rate of central Bank which is the official rate of the government.”

“We aren’t coming up with anything that doesn’t exist. We have our bill anchored in provisions according to Central Bank rates, this is what’s being implemented today.”

According to the SSRA boss, the taxes and levies have only been adjusted to the current central bank rates.

–Finance Act 2024/2025 –

According to the levies presented by the parliament’s Specialized Committee on Finance and Planning, income taxes for government contract payments to residents including salaries and wages have increased from 5% to 15%, while payments to non-residents have risen from 5% to 20%.

The excise duty rate for water, including natural or artificial mineral water, aerated water not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter not flavored, ice, and snow, has increased to 15% from 10%.

Meanwhile, taxes on agricultural machinery, including tractors, bulldozers, excavators, and rollers, have been reduced from 25% to 10%.

Non-alcoholic beverages have seen an increase in the excise duty rate from 20% to 25%, alcoholic beverages, spirits, and vinegar have risen from 30% to 35% while tobacco and related products will see a similar increase.

The excise duty on wood and articles of wood, as well as wood charcoal, has increased from 20% to 30%.

Under the finance bill, inspection service fees for frozen meat and fish per truck have risen from SSP20,000 to 400,000, while frozen chicken per carton has increased from SSP500 to 5,000.

Alcoholic beverages have also seen sharp increases. Inspection fees for whisky, gin, and wine per carton have risen from 1,000 SSP to 15,000 SSP each. The inspection fee for Uganda Waragi per carton has also increased from SSP1,000 to 15,000.

The inspection fee for gas cylinders per unit, which was previously 200 SSP, has now increased to 2,000 SSP.

On export goods service fees, honey per ton has increased from SSP1,000 to 20,000, hides and skins per dozen have risen to 2,000 from 100 SSP.

Gum Arabic inspection fees per ton have increased from SSP5,000 to 40,000, while charcoal per truck has increased from SSP50,000 to 150,000.

Timber per truck has risen from SSP10,000 to SSP500,000 while dry fish per truck has increased from 500 to 50,000 SSP. Coffee per ton now costs 2,000 SSP, up from 1,000 SSP. Fresh meat per ton has increased to 20,000 SSP from 5,000 SSP.

Other items include gold per kilogram, which has risen from SSP50,000 to 500,000, and malts per truck, which have increased from SSP5,000 to 20,000.

Inspection fees for sesame, groundnuts, sorghum, and sunflower have all increased from SSP1,000 to 20,000 per ton for each item.

The inspection fee for small and large shops has also increased. Small shops have risen from SSP10,000 to 20,000, medium shops from SSP15,000 to 25,000, and large shops from SSP30,000 to 40,000.

Meanwhile, small supermarkets will now face a fee of SSP65,000 to 100,000, and large supermarkets will be increased from SSP100,000 to 500,000.

In the hotel industry, inspection fee for five- and four-star hotels has increased from 120,000 to 2 million SSP, and for three-star hotels, from 70,000 to 1,500,000 SSP. Hotels with fewer than three stars will now be charged 1 million SSP, up from 50,000 SSP.

For bars, inspection service fee has risen from SSP50,000 to 500,000, while the restaurant inspection fee has increased from SSP35,000 to 50,000.

The inspection fee for large factories every three months will now be SSP100,000 up to 2.5 million.