South Sudan blocks bank accounts of companies over tax default

By Simon Deng

South Sudan has blocked the bank accounts of several investors over tax default, an official said.

The companies include those in the construction, trade and airline sectors, Ajang Ajang Lino, the Deputy commission for domestic tax said.

The government demands from the companies over 10 billion South Sudanese Pounds in taxes, he said.

“We have blocked accounts and we have asked the bank to transfer the tax to national revenue authority account either in the bank of South Sudan or at the commercial banks,” Lino said.

“If the tax payer is lacking money in those accounts, the next thing we are moving on, we are seizing the properties of those tax payers and we will put them on public auction.”

Lino did not mention the companies affected.

“Some of them are construction, some of them are general trading, some of them are airlines, the rest of the details rest with the national revenue authority for confidentiality purpose,” he said.

Lino said that South Sudan taxation system is based on the principle of self-assessment that demands the tax payers to declare what they intend to pay within a year.

He said the government has not been closely following up to ensure taxes are collected.

“Over time, a number of tax payers have not been complying with tax paying and this has resulted to accumulation of arrears.”