By Philip Basa

The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Marial Dongrin, officially launched the South Sudan Institute of Revenue and Administration which will train all revenue authority staff to build their capacity in the field.

Speaking during the launch ceremony, Dr. Dongrin assured of government support, and challenged the revenue authority to increase collection to surpass the set targets, adding that the revenues will be spent prudently.

He lauded the current Revenue Commissioner for achieving the set revenue targets, sating that the new institute will help the institution fix the administrative gaps and increase collection.

“This was achieved despite some few challenges. This new institute will now help the commissioners and key staff of the South Sudan Revenue Authority to train and mentor expertise. Many people were previously sent to other countries such as Kenya, Uganda or Rwanda for the training. Now there is an opportunity in our homeland,” he said.

On his part, Hon. Simon Akuei Deng, the Commissioner General of South Sudan Revenue Authority, noted the improvements in revenue collection in the country. Through dedication and empowerment, Akuei said, the body managed to move from a revenue of approximately SSP700M between 2015 and 2017 to close to SSP100Billion in the 2024/2025.

“The launching of the institute will enable us to scale up non-oil revenues. We are however still facing challenges as many people have not adopted the new digital system. The institute will train expertise to ensure that we are well equipped to handle this,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State, Hon. Paulino Lukudo Obed urges for cooperation in tax compliance, saying the process should be devoid of disputes.

Lukudu urged the revenue authority to re-emphasize its commitment to a centralized, modernized system and to ensure that the collection is seamless. The Deputy Governor raised an alarm over the manual, door to door process, citing its challenges.

“We urge investors to come and invest in Juba. The government of Central Equatoria State is ready to host you and support you,” he said.