Western Equatoria State Governor Alfred Futuyo has set a clear financial target for the newly appointed officials of the State Revenue Authority. He has directed them to diligently work towards generating a monthly collection ranging between 150,000,000 and 200,000,000 South Sudanese Pounds.
This announcement was made during the swearing-in ceremony of the recently appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Western Equatoria State Revenue Authority, Torosa Elias Toro. Torosa Elias, who had earlier defected from the SPLM party to join the SPLM-IO party, was officially appointed through a gubernatorial decree on October 18, 2023.
In another notable development, James Ramadan Richard was promoted from his role as the Director General to the position of Commissioner of the State Revenue Authority, a position that had never existed in the history of Western Equatoria State.
During the swearing-in ceremony held at the state secretariat, Governor Futuyo disclosed a significant change in how the salaries of state executives and parliamentarians will be determined.
He warned, “This time the work at the revenue authority will be different from that of previous years. In the past, revenue collection was often influenced by politics, but this year, we are removing politics from the equation. Any official within state financial institutions who engages in misconduct will face immediate suspension.”
The stern warning is aimed at ensuring that the state can generate sufficient funds to cover the salaries of state executives and legislators.
Futuyo explained, “I emphasize this point because there is growing concern from Juba that both parliamentarians and the state executives are without salaries, and this is indeed the case. It has been mandated that their salaries will now be funded through state revenue collection.”
Futuyo further added, “Given this directive from Juba, we are taking charge of the revenue collection process. Our aim is to ensure that the State Revenue Authority can consistently generate between 150,000,000 and 200,000,000 South Sudanese Pounds per month.”
On his part, Torosa Elias Toro shared his initial priorities upon taking office, stating, “My foremost objective is to establish a culture of transparency among our employees.”
Futuyo explained, “I want to stress this point because there’s a significant concern from Juba that both parliamentarians and state executives are currently without salaries, and this concern is valid. It’s now mandated that their salaries will be funded through state revenue collection.”
Futuyo went on to say, “With this directive from Juba in mind, we are taking full responsibility for the revenue collection process. Our goal is to ensure that the State Revenue Authority consistently generates between 150,000,000 and 200,000,000 South Sudanese Pounds each month.”
Torosa Elias Toro also outlined his initial priorities upon taking office, saying, “My primary objective is to instill a culture of transparency among our employees.”
Meanwhile, Hon. Basia, who serves as the Acting State Minister of Finance and also holds the position of Minister of Labor and Public Service, expressed the Finance Ministry’s readiness to collaborate closely with the State Revenue Authority. Their joint efforts aim to bolster the state’s finances and enhance services for taxpayers.
“The Finance Ministry is committed to supporting the Revenue Authority to ensure the state’s financial stability and improve services to the community,” urged Basia.