Juba, 11thJune, 2015:The South Sudan Custom Services(SSCS) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) today signed a Memorandum of Understandingto support a customs reforms development program. TMA committed to provide financial and technical support to the SSCS amounting to US$10.4 million.
SSCS partnership with TMA aims to lay a foundation for a wider customs reform programmeand modernising of the custom services systems which will lead to increased and diversifying South Sudan revenue incomes as well as increase accountability and transparency in management of these revenues. The assistance, which will reinforce the custom services human resource capacity and improve its physical infrastructure, will support SSCS to become an effective and efficient agency able to support the government’s objective of increasing non-oil revenues while facilitating regional trade. This will be achieved through training of customs officers, re-engineering of business processes and procedures which will improve trade environment and reduce trade costs, automation of systems to achieve real time efficiency and establishment of anti-smuggling task teams.
Lt. Gen. Mikaya Modi Legge, Director General of SSCS represented the customs service, while TMA was represented by Eugene Torero, the South Sudan Country Director.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lt. Gen. Mikaya Modi Legge, Director General of SSCS said;
“We are very happy and greatly appreciate the technical support that TradeMark Africa is providing in strengthening SSCS. This support will go a long way in ensuring that our Customs Services has capacity for efficient and effective collection of revenues and especially non oil revenues. Already, this support and reforms adopted is bearing fruit as we have been recorded a to 20% increase in generation and collection of non-oil revenues from SSP 8.5 million in December 2012 to SSP 63.7 million in February 2015.”
TMA South Sudan Country Director, Eugene Torero re-affirmed the continued support of TMA to South Sudan Government in customs development and trade facilitation saying;
“TMA is happy to support SSCS, which plays an important role in trade facilitation. With increased efficiency SSCS will play a critical role in improving ease of trading across borders by adopting and maintaining effective trade systems and procedures. We are confident that our partnership will lead to even bigger gains in terms of revenue collection and their management for this young nation.”
It is envisaged that through this intervention, the development of modern customs systems and reduction in border and regulatory impediments to business and investment will be undertaken. These are expected to translate into reduction in border clearance time for cargos, humanitarian aid; and resultantly massive cost savings for traders. The program is funded by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID).
Juba, 11thJune, 2015:The South Sudan Custom Services(SSCS) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) today signed a Memorandum of Understandingto support a customs reforms development program. TMA committed to provide financial and technical support to the SSCS amounting to US$10.4 million.
SSCS partnership with TMA aims to lay a foundation for a wider customs reform programmeand modernising of the custom services systems which will lead to increased and diversifyingSouth Sudan revenue incomes as well as increase accountability and transparency in management of these revenues. The assistance, which will reinforce the custom services human resource capacity and improve its physical infrastructure, will support SSCS to become an effective and efficient agency able to support the government’s objective of increasing non-oil revenues while facilitating regional trade. This will be achieved through training of customs officers, re-engineering of business processes and procedures which will improve trade environment and reduce trade costs, automation of systems to achieve real time efficiency and establishment of anti-smuggling task teams.
Lt. Gen. Mikaya Modi Legge, Director General of SSCS represented the customs service, while TMA was represented by Eugene Torero, the South Sudan Country Director.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lt. Gen. Mikaya Modi Legge, Director General of SSCS said;
“We are very happy and greatly appreciate the technical support that TradeMark Africa is providing in strengthening SSCS. This support will go a long way in ensuring that our Customs Services has capacity for efficient and effective collection of revenues and especially non oil revenues. Already, this support and reforms adopted is bearing fruit as we have been recorded a to 20% increase in generation and collection of non-oil revenues from SSP 8.5 million in December 2012 to SSP 63.7 million in February 2015.”
TMA South Sudan Country Director, Eugene Torero re-affirmed the continued support of TMA to South Sudan Government in customs development and trade facilitation saying;
“TMA is happy to support SSCS, which plays an important role in trade facilitation. With increased efficiency SSCS will play a critical role in improving ease of trading across borders by adopting and maintaining effective trade systems and procedures. We are confident that our partnership will lead to even bigger gains in terms of revenue collection and their management for this young nation.”
It is envisaged that through this intervention, the development of modern customs systems and reduction in border and regulatory impediments to business and investment will be undertaken. These are expected to translate into reduction in border clearance time for cargos, humanitarian aid; and resultantly massive cost savings for traders. The program is funded by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID).
Source: TradeMark Africa
TradeMark Africa (TMA) is an aid-for-trade organisation that was established with the aim of growing prosperity in East Africa through increased trade. TradeMark Africa (TMA) operates on a not-for-profit basis and is funded by the development agencies of the following countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, UK, and USA. TradeMark Africa (TMA) works closely with East African Community (EAC) institutions, national governments, the private sector and civil society organisations.
