JCC to install digitized revenue collection system

The Juba City Council is finalising the digitalisation of revenue collection to rule out random revenue collection.

Speaking during the Radio Miraya FM breakfast show, Juba City Mayor Allah-Jabu, said there was a need to harmonise the revenue collection policy which had been floated by a number of unauthorised officers.

“Traders are facing challenges with a number of people who come to collect taxes. We don’t know who they are, and if at all, they have been authorised because they may be from national revenue authority, ” Allah-Jabu said.

“I am trying to find out and understand them one by one and then see the importance of those particular taxes that have been imposed by each and every institution, and then see (how) to harmonise them so that those taxes must stop,” he said.

He revealed that the city council had a bank account and would soon install a digital revenue collection system to eradicate fraudulent practices.

“We have a bank account for traders to pay, and a plan is underway to initiate a digitalised revenue collection system. All the revenue will be paid directly to the bank using the digitalised revenue collection system.”

He noted that the city council had resolved to collect revenue from traders once a month and should not be so restricted when traders give an assurance of paying in the office or depositing the money into the city council’s bank account.

“We used to have a daily inspection by the public order. They used to go every day (but) I had to stop them,” the Mayor stated.

“Public order can only visit the market when a need arises.” For example, if there is chaos or blockage on the road, they can go for that specific duty. Otherwise, not everything is to be fined. They (traders and hawkers) should not be fined every now and then.”

The mayor stated that the demand note is valid for 72 hours and that the shops should not be closed when payment is not made.

“If the trader convinces them that he will bring the money to the office, or to the bank, and remit it, there is no need to lock the shop, because if they lock the shop, the trader cannot sell and cannot get the money to pay the demand note,” he explained.

Training manpower

In September last year, the city council announced its intention to digitalise revenue collection by launching digital staff training.

The order was started by the former Mayor, Kalisto Lado Faustino, who directed all the staff to learn computer skills in an effort to uplift modern technologies.

 “If it is done in a modern way, we will improve efficiency in our performance. There will be a high level of transparency and accountability in our performance. The financial resources we get from the taxpayers will be known to all organs of the government,” Kalisto said.

The former mayor stated that the digital migration would help to ensure accountability, transparency, and trust by allowing taxpayers to see how their money was spent.

 “For us to deliver services, we must have money, and for us to have money, we must actually levy taxes, and for us to levy taxes, we must have a good tax system,” Kalisto stated.

High taxation

Before Kalisto was sacked, he was accused by the Chairperson of the Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce, Robert Pitia Francis, of charging his fines and taxes amounting to about SSP 380,000-700,000 instead of the usual SSP 50, 000-70,000.

Days before the new Mayor Allah-Jabu was appointed, Kalisto’s deputies apologised to the traders and the community over higher taxes and fines.

The Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure Development, Thiik Thiik Mayardit, said while addressing traders, “On behalf of Juba City Council, I apologise through media houses here that please, an institution is an institution, and we are apologising because we are leaders and for anything that has happened.”

 “If there is any mismanagement, which our people find to be unlawful, let me apologise again to the people of South Sudan that we are going to correct the mistakes very soon and later.”

The Deputy Mayor for Finance and Planning, Solomon Pitia, promised traders that the council would drop high taxes and fines.

 “We understand you people have been taxed highly, but take it from me as acting Mayor of the Juba City Council that we are going to make sure that the high taxes are reduced,” he said.