(JUBA) – The South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) has temporarily suspended its ongoing taxpayer registration and zoning programme in Juba City, following strong resistance from the Central Equatoria State Government and feedback from the business community, civil society, and development partners.
The initiative which began on 1 July 2025 aimed to divide Juba into ten zones to allow a door to door campaign targeting all businesses, service providers and self employed individuals for tax registration.
The SSRA said the project was part of wider efforts to modernise tax administration, expand the national tax base, and improve public service delivery.
However, in a press statement issued on 4 July 2025, the SSRA announced the suspension of the exercise to allow for wider consultations with key stakeholders.
Commissioner General Simon Akuei Deng stated that the suspension would give space for proper dialogue to ensure the reform is well understood, inclusive, and aligned with national and public interests.
The original plan had faced mounting criticism, culminating in an official rejection by the Central Equatoria State Council of Ministers during their weekly cabinet meeting on Thursday, chaired by Governor Lt. Gen. Rabi Mujung Emmanuel.
Acting Minister of Information and Communication, Hon. Jacob Aligo Lo-Lado, told reporters that the zoning decision was taken unilaterally by the SSRA without consulting the State Government or the Juba City Council.
“This was a unilateral decision,” Hon. Aligo said. “The Council believes that consultations should have taken place between the Revenue Authority, the State Government, and the Juba City Council before implementing such a policy. The Cabinet has called on the SSRA to respect Article 49 of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan (2011), as amended, which highlights the importance of intergovernmental linkages.”
The State Cabinet expressed concern that failure to coordinate with local authorities risks undermining public trust in tax institutions and could result in confusion and non compliance. The ministers called for the SSRA to observe the constitutional rights of state governments in revenue collection.
In its statement, the SSRA reaffirmed that taxpayer registration remains free of charge and warned that no individual is authorised to collect fees during the process.
The revenue body also noted that it expects the National Legislature to pass the long awaited National Tax Procedure Act. This law would define clearly the scope of taxation at national, state and local levels to reduce double taxation, which continues to burden both businesses and citizens.
