By Lodu William Odiya
The Minister of Interior Aleu Ayieny Aleu, has directed a sweeping downsizing of staff across institutions operating at the Nimule border post to curb revenue leakages and streamline operations.
Aleu, who leads a Subcommittee of the Ministerial High-Level Committee on Economic Reforms, issued the directive during a series of high-level meetings with local authorities and key stakeholders in Nimule aimed at tackling operational challenges in revenue collection.
“Minister of Interior, Hon. Gen. Aleu Ayieny Aleu, who is heading the Subcommittee of the Ministerial High-Level Committee on Economic Reforms, raised a number of issues such as overstaffing and directed that downsizing be implemented across various institutions operating in Nimule, citing leakages in revenue collections at the border post” the statement read.
The subcommittee met with representatives from the joint security forces comprising the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), the National Security Service, and the Police alongside officials from the Nimule weighbridge and the South Sudan Bureau of Standards.
While the transition to direct cash payments for tax collection is reportedly progressing smoothly, local officials raised serious concerns regarding the lack of advanced testing equipment to inspect imported food, fuel, and other essential goods passing through the vital border crossing.
Acknowledging these operational hurdles, Gen. Aleu singled out overstaffing as a major structural issue contributing to financial leakages at the border, ordering immediate workforce reductions across the affected departments.
Speaking to the press following the meeting, Amb. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development and member of the economic subcommittee, detailed the outcomes of the consultations and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to institutional reform.
The committee issued a stern warning against unauthorized revenue collection, cautioning that any individuals found collecting illegal fees at Nimule will face severe legal consequences as the government steps up its broader economic reform agenda.