Gov’t slashes border entry fee for vehicles to $60

JUBA – The government on Tuesday reduced vehicle registration and control system fee from $100 to $60 after truck drivers protested new charges at the Nimule border post.

On 3 August, truck drivers parked their trucks at the Elegu border in protest of the new digital security tag fees issued by traffic police.

The ministry of interior had introduced $100 digital security tag fee on all vehicles coming into South Sudan through various border points.

The system aims to track both the volume of vehicles entering South Sudan daily and the security of on-road users.

The system that launched on August 1 is meant to improve border security to prevent criminals from crossing the border undetected.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference in Juba on Tuesday, police spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin said the minister of interior has reduced vehicle entrance charges following an outcry from truck drivers.

“60 U.S dollars will be collected by the government for each vehicle that enters South Sudan at border points of Nimule, Renk, Aweil, Kaya, Wunrok, and Nadapal,” Justin told reporters on Tuesday.

Justin said the recent collection of 100 U.S dollar charges for RFID has been terminated due to the current economic situation in the country.

Justin added that an extra 10 U.S dollars will be charged for E-Government and bank charges along the border points from each vehicle.

“10 U.S dollars will be for E. Government and Bank Charges and this has started on 1st August 2022 during the launching of the project,” he said.

The Minister of Interior has directed the field officers to increase the number of the tellers to five to avoid congestion, Justin said.

“He (minister of interior) ordered the number of tellers to be increased to five to avoid congestion at birder points because vehicles coming are very many in number, sometimes it can reach more than 300 vehicles per day.”