JUBA – South Sudan has directed businesses to pay taxes and customs charges in cash as the government moves to address a growing liquidity crisis affecting the country’s banking system.
The decision was announced after an extraordinary meeting of the Ministerial High-Level Committee on Economic Reform with commercial banks, the Bank of South Sudan, the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA), and Crawford Capital Pay.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development Ezekiel Lul Gatkuoth, who is acting secretary of the committee, said the government had reviewed the cash shortage and agreed on several measures.
“All business persons that are doing business transactions in the Republic of South Sudan must pay in cash,” Gatkuoth said.
He added that businesses clearing goods at border points would now be required to pay government charges in cash starting immediately.
The committee also removed restrictions on cash withdrawals from the central bank and commercial banks.
“There is no limitation. You can withdraw your cash; there is no capping that is going to be involved,” Gatkuoth said.
The government said the move is aimed at increasing the amount of money circulating in the economy and helping banks respond to growing demand for cash.
Gatkuoth said he would lead a sub-committee tasked with reviewing the banking system, improving cash availability, and supporting efforts to strengthen the Bank of South Sudan.
The committee also linked the reforms to efforts to ensure public servants receive their salaries on time.
“We will work very closely with the technical committee on how we can capacitate the Bank of South Sudan so that we can have more cash in circulation,” he said.
The minister said digital revenue collection through Crawford Capital Pay would continue despite the shift to cash payments.
“Since we started collecting digitally, the increase in revenue has gone up,” Gatkuoth said, adding that Capital Pay would continue recording payments in the system.
He warned that commercial banks collecting government revenue must comply with the new directive or face action.
The measures come as South Sudan continues to experience economic pressure, including cash shortages, currency depreciation, and rising costs of goods and services.
