Traders in South Sudan’s capital on Tuesday accused the mayor of Juba and the Juba County commissioner of unlawfully interfering in the leadership of the local chamber of commerce and abruptly increasing market fees that they say have led to skyrocketing food prices and economic hardships.
At a conference in Munuki, the Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce said Juba City Council (JCC) also moved to relieve and appoint chamber officials without legal authority, escalating a dispute that has manifested in governance tensions and mounting anger over the cost of doing business in Juba.
Robert Pitia, chairperson of the state chamber, rejected a letter issued by the county commissioner purporting to remove one chamber official and replace him with another.
“The chamber of commerce is an independent private sector institution. It is not part of the structure at the level of Juba County,” he charged. “So, this letter is not acceptable.”
He accused JCC Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka of forcibly installing an individual the chamber had suspended over alleged financial misconduct.
“He went and broke into the offices and handed over the office, and deployed security organs to protect this person,” Pitia said.
According to the chamber, the suspended official was facing allegations of misappropriating chamber funds and assets. It argues that any attempt by city authorities to override internal disciplinary decisions violates the chamber’s autonomy and established governance procedures.
Legal authority in question
Stephen Wani Aquilino, chairperson of the chamber of commerce in Juba City Council, said the Local Government Act does not place the chamber under the control of the city council.
“There is no document that supports that the chamber of commerce is under the city council,” he said. “If they could meet us, we would solve the problem together, but because they cannot meet us, we are doing this so that the citizens and traders know the real problems.”
The dispute raises broader questions about the boundaries between public authority and private sector institutions in South Sudan, where legal frameworks are often contested, and institutional roles remain fluid.
Fees beyond the “rate schedule”
The traders also accused JCC of increasing market fees beyond amounts stipulated in the government’s approved financial framework, commonly known as the “rate schedule” system, the official receipt-based structure for tax and fee collection.
Martin Juma Lojong, chairperson of the Juba County Chamber of Commerce, said garbage collection fees in Kubri Haboba Market rose from SSP 53,500 to 235,000.
In another case, wholesale traders who expected to pay between SSP700,000 and 800,000 were allegedly issued demands of 3.6 million pounds.
“They are demanding amounts far beyond what is provided for in the rate card,” he stated.
Lojong added that traders are frequently charged multiple levies at once, including service fees, ground rent, and rental value, sometimes totalling between four and seven million pounds. The higher operating costs, traders say, are inevitably passed on to consumers.
“In every market, there is a very big increase in prices because the money being taken from traders is too much,” Lojong said.
In a country grappling with currency depreciation and persistent inflation since independence in 2011, such increases can significantly affect household budgets, particularly in Juba, where most goods are imported.
Allegations of unofficial collections
Chamber officials also alleged that some public order officers conduct repeated market operations and impose fines outside formal legal procedures.
“Public order has become the real problem in the city council,” Wani said.
He further claimed that certain security sectors collect monthly payments ranging from SSP30,000 to 70,000 from traders without issuing official receipts.
“These amounts are taken monthly without receipts,” Wani said, alleging that city authorities are aware of the practice.
If substantiated, such claims would point to informal or parallel revenue collection mechanisms operating outside the legally recognized framework.
Despite the strong language, chamber leaders said they are not opposed to taxation itself but are demanding adherence to the approved financial structures and respect for institutional independence.
“We are not advancing problems, but advancing solutions,” Wani said, urging city authorities to engage in dialogue and regularize fee structures.
However, when contacted, Juba City Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka told Radio Tamauj that the matter arose from a jurisdictional conflict between the Chamber of Commerce-Juba City Council, Chamber of Commerce-Central Equatoria State, and South Sudan Chamber of Commerce within the jurisdiction of the Juba City Council, that the matter is before the court, and that he cannot discuss it due to the subjudice rule.
“The matter is under judgment, and the fundamental legal principle protects the integrity of ongoing judicial proceedings and prevents interference with the court’s work,” he said. “The advice we got is that all the parties must maintain the membership and operational landscape as it existed at the time of filing the Supreme Court case without any coercive changes.”
He said JCC will make a comprehensive statement on the matter soon.
As the standoff unfolds, the dispute now sits at the intersection of governance and everyday economics. For traders, it is a battle over institutional autonomy and legal process. For consumers, it may mean higher prices at market stalls across the capital.
Unless resolved, business leaders warn, the conflict risks further eroding confidence in local governance while placing additional strain on households already navigating fragile economic conditions.