From a Ghanaian to a Tanzanian: The Plight of the South Sudan’s National Revenue Authority (NRA)
By Simon El Hag Kulusika, Lusaka, Zambia
Thursday, October 08, 2020 (PW) — In the face of mounting economic troubles of SS the President sacked the Revues Chief and replaced same by a Tanzanian citizen who was deputy Commissioner – general of revenues authorities in Tanzania. One of his predecessor at the revenue authorities was a foreigner from Ghana.
This one was dismissed from the revrnue authrities for allegations of corruptions: a phrase that is enigmatic as Abdul Razak when used without further elucidation as to whether it refers to a human being or any other creature of God, that might have done something good or bad.
But in most cases when people make reference to someone in authority or an event it signifies an occurrence or series of this that could be pleasant or painful. One should assume in these events of dismissal that wrong doing was committed.
The question which you should ask is: whether the Tanzanian will be able to fix the troubles at the tax authorities? Apart from that one also may ask: why did the president pick on two occasions two foreigners as chiefs of the South Sudan’s Revenues Authorities?
Either he does not have trust in South Sudanese economists or there aren’t such trusted specialists. If the latter proposition is sound then South Sudan has huge problem. If it were a matter of trust. It is relative and debatable.What does a chief of revenues ordinarily do?
The world over the person appointed as chief of national revenues authorities has one cardinal responsibility, that is to optimise and sustain revenues collection, to administer the authorities to ensure prosperty for the country by collecting more revenues for the state.
To serve the government of the day. To assist taxpayers in paying taxes including employees and other concerned stakeholders. He or she must focus on tax collection in the three divisions: Direct Tax, customs and excises,and Value Added Tax. He or she must carry these function with high integrity.
To prevent the intervention of the President who is the chief executive of taxation. To succeed in their duties of tax collection, the government should amend the South Sudan Revenues Authorities Act to grant the authorities a semi – autonomous status, to remove the agency from civil service category and recognise it as a militarily organised agency with military ranks for all employees.
The agency must also havle a Board, to make policies, select and recommend senior officers for appointment by the President. The authorities must widen the tax bases but not increase taxes as citizens are already over burdened.
Widening tax bases should include various sectors, such as, agriculture, livestocks, forestry – timbers dealers, fisheries, mines and minerals, organised streets vending, organised native beers, private schools and clinics in return for good services such as network of roads, etc.
The President should control and monitor the operation of the agency and order its books to be audited at irregular time to ensure transparency and prevent corruption or maladministration.
Officials who act negligently, or divert taxpayers money for personal interests must be punished severely by a minimum of seven years custodial sentence with hard labour. This should be provided in the Act as deterrence.
The authorities should carry out regular training for their officials to improve skills and raise standards to achieve efficiency. There are many South Sudan specialists in economics, finance, banking, political economy and taxation.
Let us make use of them until they show incompetence to perform. Foreigners may be more experienced but they lack understanding of the culture of the people of South Sudan.
The author, Simon El Hag Kulusika, Prof, ZAOU, can be reached via his email address: pa352128@gmail.com or Lusaka phone + 260973711250
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