By Taban Gabriel
King News-04.09.2024 On Wednesday, the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) reviewed a benchmarking report on revenue allocations from the Committee on Finance and Economic Planning. The report, compiled in August, followed the committee’s working trip to Kenya and Rwanda.
The report, presented by Member of Parliament Susan Thomas, recommended that “only” the National Revenue Authority (NRA) be authorized to collect taxes and non-tax revenues on behalf of states, administrative areas, counties, and city councils across South Sudan.
Hon. Susan Thomas presenting the report to the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) in Juba today.
The report also supports the establishment of a permanent term for the Commissioner General of the National Revenue Authority (NRA), with a specific duration to be determined by parliament. This presentation to the August House follows a public hearing on the same report, which took place on 23rd August 2024 and was presented by the same committee.
Members of parliament were divided over the recommendation, with some expressing support while others argued it lacked relevance to the South Sudan Interim Constitution. However, Oreste Lopara, a Member of Parliament from Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State, praised the committee for its report.
“I think to me this is the most valuable tour that has the money of South Sudanese well use; we should adopt this report very strongly, and we should follow what the Kenyan government is doing,” Lopara said.
“You know, in this country, there is a sole authority who can spend money without the knowledge of the public. I heard from SSBC that there are 3 million to be allocated for the exhibition of other things in this country and people are going without money and I think the president doesn’t know about it. This document tells us exactly how the government of Kenya uses its money,” he added.
Meanwhile, member of Parliament Alemi, representing Magwi County, disagreed with the proposal.
“Allowing the South Sudan National Revenue Authority to collect the taxes will never reach the end person. I am a witness to this. I am from Magwi County, and the non-oil revenue that people are talking about today, much of it is collected from Nimule. The government has taken a land size of 500 meters for the revenue, and as we speak today, the community is getting nothing,” he said.
Gatkouth Wat, representing Ayod County in Jonglei State, approves the findings and recommendation.
“Right, Honorable speaker, we are not getting the collection from the States. Even as we speak now, there is NRA in the States, but it doesn’t collect all the revenue. There are some taxes collected by the states, and we don’t know the record,” said Hon. Wat
Hon. Joseph Lual Acuil also patted down the endorsements on his part, “When I look at this report, I ask myself, why did we become independent? Did we get South Sudan’s independence to become Kenyans, Ugandans, and Tanzanians? I thought we are people, and we got our independence in order to be ourselves,” said Hon. Lual
Hon. Lual called on parliament to strengthen South Sudan’s governance system, emphasizing that “we should only seek external ideas when they bring value, and adapt them to fit our own context.”
Hon. Victor Omuho of Eastern Equatoria State, who ultimately passed the motion on the recommendation, acknowledged that it had been thoroughly debated.
“This physical, financial allocation and monitoring commission is dead because it has not been given the powers, and that is why these recommendations are very important,” Hon. Omuho said
He urged the legislators to adopt all the amendments outlined in the recommendations. The Wednesday, August session of the House was presided over by Deputy Speaker Hon. Nataniel Oyet.