Kiir tells new finance minister to limit tax exemption

JUBA – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has told his newly appointed finance minister Athian Diing Athian to limit tax exemption to help restore the country’s economy which has been badly affected by corruption, coronavirus pandemic and the civil war.

Earlier this week, Kiir removed Salvatore Garang Mabiordit as minister of finance and replaced him with Athian, a former deputy finance minister. Mabiordit had in the week earlier said the country could not pay civil servant because there was no money in his ministry.

Speaking during the swearing ceremony at the State House J1 this afternoon, Kiir urged the Athian to reduce the tax limitation and to work hard to find better mechanisms to address the economic challenges that are threatening to fail the country.

“I encourages you to double your efforts to succeed in your assignment. What you need to do is to find a better mechanism to address demands of the people in the Ministry of Finance,” Kiir told Athian in during the swearing in ceremony administered by chief justice Chaan Reec Madut.

“Now we know the oil doesn’t pay much, but if the non-oil revenues are collected in good faith by the tax collectors, the government would have enough revenues in the financial system. So, I inu urges you to put a limit on tax exemptions because there are some items that should not be exempted from tax,” concluded the South Sudanese head of state.

In August, the Central Bank chief Abdalla Wani said the financial institution had ran out of foreign exchange reserve. The President later on formed an economic crisis management committee to work to centralize non-oil revenue.

Public servants have not been paid since May.