Mande Africano, the Commissioner General of the South Sudan Revenue Authority, visited CG to share progress on the implementation of the new cargo tracking system. 

Mande said the move is aimed at eliminating fraud, as individuals have been masquerading as officials from the authority and extorting money from traders.

“We want to be the ones collecting revenue from the traders at the point of entry. This will give us the leverage to eliminate those masquerading as government,” he stated.

As the authority gets accustomed to using the system, they are picking lessons from URA, which is already using an electronic cargo tracking system.

“I have tasked our people to come up with the gaps we have in customs so that we can benefit from your experience. We do not want to invent a new model but rather run from the existing ones in the region,” Mande said on the same.

To ensure smooth implementation and adoption of the system by all stakeholders, Dr. Okaka Geoffrey, the Assistant Commissioner of Field Services at URA, said thorough sensitization of stakeholders will have to be done.

“We shall have to sensitize sector players like associations, transporters, and taxpayers,” he said.

In his remarks, CG lauded South Sudan for the cordial relationship and reiterated URA’s willingness to support the young nation. He called for joint efforts in the elimination of revenue leakages.

“None of our countries benefits from smugglers and corrupt officials. Why can’t we have policies that benefit South Sudan and Uganda? Let us keep working together to eliminate those barriers,” he rallied.

By Joshua Niyonshima, PCA-MMU