A report by two foreign independent research institutes has revealed that transport in South Sudan is amongst the most expensive in the world.
The International Peace Information Service and Danish Institute for International Studies say South Sudan is only rivaled by Afghanistan and the DR Congo.
The report states that since independence in 2011, the number of checkpoints in South Sudan has nearly doubled while checkpoint taxes have increased 300 percent.
According to the findings, over the past two years, both IPIS and DIIS have mapped 319 checkpoints along major trade routes in South Sudan, of which 253 are roadblocks and 66 river checkpoints.
It states that government soldiers and civilian authorities control most of the checkpoints along overland routes, while the SPLA/M in opposition, led by Riek Machar, controls slightly more than half of the checkpoints along river routes, the White Nile, its branch the El Zeraf, and the Sobat.
Based on averages, the report indicates that a typical checkpoint in South Sudan is manned by 6 people, and levies about SSP 48,000, but as vehicles usually travel long distances, total checkpoint taxes for a trip can be enormous.
Barges shuttle between Bor and Renk carrying humanitarian aid or foodstuff, and for the entire return journey each barge will pay about 211 at each of the 33 checkpoints, totaling a stunning 10,000 US dollars for a round trip.
Similarly, while checkpoints on the road between Juba and Bentiu on average charge a truck about 21 USD, the total journey involves passing 80 checkpoints—meaning a return journey easily costs over 3,000 USD in checkpoint taxes, the findings indicate.
Released on Monday, the report revealed the implication of humanitarian organizations in the checkpoint economy and humanitarian logistics makes up a big part of the transport sector in South Sudan, with aid agencies outsourcing food deliveries and other bulk transport to national or regional trucking companies.
Traders and drivers have often called on the government to remove all the roadblocks within the country.
They argue that these roadblocks are not meant for security but to collect illegal taxes and impose unwarranted penalties on traders.
But the SSPDF spokesperson insists that the purpose of some roadblocks is to check the security of the people that are coming to South Sudan and to check whether there is anything illegal being smuggled into the country.
In 2018, President Salva Kiir ordered for closure of all illegal checkpoints.
But the order has severely remained disregarded.