Jonglei civil servants urge gov’t to increase salaries first before applying taxes

JUBA – Civil servants in Jonglei state are calling on the government of South Sudan to increase their salaries first before imposing personal income taxes (PIT).

Last month, South Sudan National Revenue Authority commissioner-general issued a circular indicating that the SSP 0-2000 will be tax at 0%, 2001-5000 at 5%, 5002-10,000 at 10%, 10,001-15,000 at 15% and 15,001-above at 20%.

The circular also indicates that the instruction given in the circular will be effective form the 15 July 2022.

But the secretary general of Jonglei state workers trade union, Samuel Majier Loch said the workers union will work in accordance with the new circular, but only if the government first increased the civil servant salaries.

“We don’t have any problem with the new circular. But the main issue is that the new circular for the increment of the civil servant salaries so, instead of implementing this circular now it should be hold on so that the salaries are first increase according to the new budget for the year 2022/23” Majier said.

He urged the government to implement the recent issued circular with the new fiscal budget for the year of 2022/23 when the salaries are increased.

Meanwhile Daniel Chol, a civil servant working in the state ministry of education said the circular will affect the civil servants due to the low payment.

“This appears like a scam; in South Sudan the payroll is not unified and if the payrolls in the country are not unified, then there is no need you can increase the taxes while you don’t know how much amount each civil servant obtains,” Daniel said.

“The government should first of all stabilized the markets because it is not a matter of increasing the taxes in order to reduce the little that we get which is not even enough for our needs, if they first stabilized the market then they should look in the nature of the salaries then they will be able to have the accurate amount to be paid as PIT”

He urges the government to increase the civil servant’s salaries instead of working in the increment of the PIT.