Revenue Authority digitizes passport payments, pledges uninterrupted issuance

Commissioner reveals that government received 10,000 passports, along with national IDs and nationality documents, after settling a long-standing payment dispute with a foreign supplier through a partnership with a national company

By Aguok Chok

The Commissioner General of the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA), William Anyuon Kuol, has announced that payments for passports, national identity cards, and nationality services will now be conducted strictly through a digital system, ending cash transactions at the Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration.

Speaking during a ceremony marking the resumption of passport and nationality issuance, Kuol explained that many citizens had questioned how passport services were restored after a long blackout.

He said the intervention was not accidental but followed direct involvement from the Office of the President.

“We have received the passport, the national ID and the nationality. But we don’t know where they come from, is it the regular process or are some interventions,” Kuol queried, stating that, “there is nothing that happens alone without a contribution or collective responsibility.”

According to Kuol, the Office of the President, through the Presidential Advisor on Special Programs, played a central role in resolving the crisis.

He said the country had suffered for a long time without passports, describing the document as a basic national necessity.

“There is no country without a travel document, especially a passport. It is something very important,” he said.

Kuol revealed that the government had received 10,000 passports, along with national IDs and nationality documents, after settling a long-standing payment dispute with a foreign supplier through a partnership with a national company.

The supplier had earlier refused to deliver materials due to unpaid arrears amounting to 9.5 million US dollars.

While welcoming the resumption of services, the SSRA boss stressed that reforms would only succeed if payment systems were fully digitized.

He cited a presidential order mandating the digital collection of revenue across government institutions.

“What do we mean by digital? Digital means that any collection, any money, we don’t need to see money,” Kuol said.

“Somebody is going to pay this money… You have to pay this money not for anyone here.”

He emphasized that neither SSRA officials nor immigration officers would physically handle cash. “The commissioner general of the South Sudan revenue authority is not connected to see that money,” he stated.

“What we will see is the receipt from that.”

Kuol said the digital system would be linked directly to the passport and ID processing platform, ensuring transparency and accountability.

“From today onward, we would like to make the public… that the people who will come here to take a passport will go through the digital,” he said.

He added that trained staff were already in place to implement the system and that payments would be verified electronically before documents were issued. “It is through the receipt that will be put in the system to make sure you keep the passport or ID,” Kuol explained.

Addressing citizens who had previously paid but never received documents, Kuol acknowledged the problem and promised transparency.

 “Those people who have already paid their cash before, as they have not received their passport, we want them to be transparent,” he said, noting that all past data would be reviewed and entered into the digital system.

Kuol concluded by urging cooperation among institutions, saying digital payments would prevent future shortages and misuse of funds.

“It is the collective responsibility,” he said, stressing that digital reform was key to sustaining passport services.

Uninterrupted supply

Meanwhile, while inspecting the resumption of nationality and passport processing at the Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport and Immigration on Monday, Senior Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, Adut Salva Kiir echoed the President’s directive for uninterrupted issuance of passports.

The Directorate of immigration is among the government institutions severely affected by the ongoing economic crisis, which resulted in a shortage of passport booklets and a complete blackout in services.

For months several citizens were left without access to legal identification documents required for travel, employment, education, and other essential needs.

Speaking during the event, Hon. Adut said that her visit was guided by a presidential directive. She confirmed that “the President had directed her office to urgently address the shortage of passports and nationality documents.”

She explained that the instruction underscored the President’s concern over the suffering of citizens and the need to restore confidence in public service delivery.

Acting on this directive, Hon. Adut revealed that her office took immediate steps to resolve the problem by engaging an undisclosed national company.

Through negotiations, the company facilitated the payment of USD 9.5 million demanded by a foreign supplier responsible for producing passport booklets. This intervention marked a turning point in efforts to restore services at the Directorate.

According to Adut, the national company entered direct negotiations with the German-based supplier producing passport booklets. Following the agreement, the supplier accepted to resume deliveries to South Sudan. This resulted in the immediate supply of 10,000 passport booklets, as well as nationality materials, to the Directorate, enabling the resumption of processing for thousands of pending applications.

Adut further assured citizens that the solution was sustainable, confirming that “the outstanding payment to the foreign company will be settled through the undisclosed national company.”

This arrangement, she said, would prevent future shortages and ensure continuous availability of passport and nationality booklets.

During her address, Hon. Adut emphasized that the President’s directive reflects the government’s broader commitment to restoring essential services despite economic challenges. She stressed that access to nationality and passport documents is a basic right and a key responsibility of the state toward its citizens.

Officials at the Directorate welcomed the presidential intervention and praised the swift action taken by the Envoy’s office. They noted that the resumption of services would help clear the backlog of applications that accumulated during the blackout period and restore normal operations.

In conclusion, Adut reaffirmed the government’s resolve to follow through on the President’s orders. She stated that “the government is committed to restoring essential services and ensuring that citizens can access legal identification documents without further disruption,” assuring the public that passport and nationality processing will now continue uninterrupted.

Utilities

“From today onward, we would like to make (sure) the public… the people who will come here to take a passport will go through the digital (system),” said SSRA Commissioner General, William Anyuon Kuol.