Non Oil Revenue Remains Below 20 Percent of of South Sudan’s Budget

(JUBA) – South Sudan’s Minister of Finance and Planning has said the country’s non oil revenue remains too low, despite recent improvements in collection. Speaking during the launch of a new Revenue Training Institute on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, Dr Marial Dongrin said domestic tax income contributes less than 20 percent of the national budget.

The Minister described the latest revenue figures as a step forward but still below expectations. According to Dongrin, South Sudan collected 984 billion South Sudanese Pounds by the end of June 2025, equivalent to around 214 million US Dollars. However, he said this only accounts for about 19 to 20 percent of the budget, which he considers insufficient.

“These figures that we are talking about, the 984 billion collected by June 2025, is still very low when it comes to contribution to our national budget. We are not yet contributing here from taxes, even 30 percent,” Dongrin stated during the event.

He said South Sudan must aim to match countries in the region, such as Kenya, which funds 60 percent of its national budget through tax revenue, and Uganda, which generates 50 percent from similar sources.

To motivate revenue officers, Dongrin pledged that the Ministry would prioritise the welfare of South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) staff. He encouraged both SSRA management and staff to aim for higher targets, emphasising that stronger performance was necessary to ensure budget stability.

The remarks came as the Commissioner General of the SSRA, Simon Akuei, revealed that the Authority had collected 112 billion South Sudanese Pounds in non-oil revenue during the first half of July 2025. This amount, which equals about 24.3 million US Dollars, surpassed the institution’s bi-weekly target of 100 billion SSP.

Akuei credited the increase to internal reforms and higher staff dedication. He said the results show that South Sudan has the potential to improve its domestic revenue base, but added that the work had just begun.

“This is just the beginning,” Akuei said. “We must move from good performance to sustainable revenue generation.”

To support further improvement, Akuei announced the planned establishment of a new Revenue Training Institute that will help enhance tax administration and staff capacity. The goal is to professionalise revenue collection and reduce gaps in knowledge and enforcement.

In addition to the training centre, the SSRA is drafting a Tax Procedure Act that aims to define clearly the roles of national, state and local governments in tax collection.

This legal framework is expected to address the widespread issue of double taxation, which has long been a source of frustration for businesses and investors operating across multiple administrative levels in South Sudan.

July 2025 Revenue Snapshot