By William Madouk
The South Sudan Revenue Authority has rolled out a fully digital payment system for passports and other immigration documents.
William Anyuon Kuol, Commissioner General of the South Sudan National Revenue Authority, said the move will stop revenue leakages, end black-market claims, and ensure a steady supply of travel documents.
Speaking during the resumption of document issuance, he stated that cash handling at immigration offices has officially ended.
“The Director General of Immigration does not need to see money,” Anyuon-Kuol said.
“The staff of the South Sudan Revenue Authority who are deployed here are also not mandated to see money. What they will see is the receipt from the bank.” He noted.
He explained that passport and national ID applicants will still go through the normal paperwork process, but payments will now be made digitally through a bank located inside the immigration compound.
“From today onwards, anyone coming for a passport or national ID will go through the digital system,” he noted.
“When it comes to payment, the applicant will go to the bank window, and the system will generate an invoice.”
He said the digital platform, supported by EU services, will automatically connect the bank receipt to the immigration system, allowing officers to issue passports and IDs without handling cash.
“We already have trained staff in immigration and revenue who are capable of implementing this system,” he added.
The Commissioner General said once all payments are captured digitally, there should be no more confusion or delays in issuing passports.
“If everything is put in the system, there will be no need for people to say there is no passport,” he said. “Everybody will get a passport and nationality.”
South Sudan recently received 10,000 passports after weeks of shortages caused by unpaid arrears to suppliers.
Taxman said manual cash collection in the past allowed money to be diverted to other priorities, leaving immigration without funds to pay passport suppliers.
“After we collected money manually, it was used elsewhere,” he stressed “That is why passports stopped coming.”
He dismissed claims of a black market at immigration offices, saying the digital system removes any chance of mismanagement.
“There will be no room for the black market,” he said. “Everything will go digital.”
Funds collected will be shared directly with passport suppliers and relevant institutions, reducing the risk of future debt.
The boss of revenue stated that the success of the reforms depends on cooperation across government institutions.
“Reform is not done in one day and not by one person,” he said.“It is a collective responsibility.”
Presidential Advisor on Special Programmes, Adut Salva Kiir – photo by William Madouk/King Media
Meanwhile, Adut Salva Kiir, Presidential Advisor on Special Programmes, stressed that passports are more than travel documents, describing them as symbols of national identity, sovereignty and security.
“Our passports do not only represent our personal identity. They stand for our sovereignty as a country and our national security,” she said.
According to the presidential advisor, the Office of the President intervened directly after the suspension of passport services, tasking the Office of the Special Envoy to ensure the process resumes and does not stop again.
“I am here to guarantee that this is a service that will continue,” she told officials and members of the public gathered at the event.
She said the government had secured a partnership with a private company to clear outstanding debts related to passport production, while the NRA will continue making payments under a digitalised passport system to prevent future disruptions.
She acknowledged public grievances over delays and conditions at immigration offices and appealed for continued patience.
“I am aware of every single grievance that has been forwarded, and we will take care of each problem one at a time,” she said.
Director General of the Director of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Major General, Elia Costa-Faustino – photo by William Madouk/King Media
Director General of the Director of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Major General, Elia Costa-Faustino, “The delay in issuing passports and nationality ID cards has affected many citizens.”
He said students applying for scholarships and sick people referred for treatment outside the country are among the hardest hit due to the shortage of passport booklets.
However, he welcomed recent government support that has enabled the resumption of passport and nationality booklet production, saying the Directorate will soon begin issuing the documents to the public.
He also raised alarm over an outbreak of Hepatitis B among staff, saying several officers have died from the disease.
“We lost many of our people,” he said, appealing for urgent government support to conduct testing, treatment and vaccination for staff members.
He noted that the Directorate receives only 5 percent of the revenue it generates, an amount he said is insufficient to maintain digital systems and modern immigration services.