By Hou Akot Hou
The caretaker administration of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has urged business leaders in Aweil town to comply with local regulations and renew their trading licenses by December to boost local revenue collection.
The directive was announced on Friday during a meeting between the caretaker Minister of Finance, Garang Yak Kuol; the caretaker Minister of Information and Communication, Dominic Kang Deng, and business community representatives, including the state chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce.
The meeting comes as the state government seeks to strengthen its revenue base amid economic difficulties that have affected its operations and ability to deliver services.
Minister Garang called on traders to take responsibility for paying taxes and renewing their licenses, emphasising that local revenue is essential for sustaining government operations.
“The State Government of Northern Bahr el Ghazal will work hand in hand with the business community. The security of businesspeople is paramount, and measures will be put in place to ensure their safety during the election period,” Garang said.
He acknowledged concerns among traders about possible business losses during the election period and pledged government support to protect their businesses.
The finance minister also appealed to business leaders to engage their fellow traders to reduce the prices of goods and essential commodities to make them more affordable for residents amid the prevailing economic hardship.
Meanwhile, Deng Makol Athian, chairperson of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Chamber of Commerce, cited several challenges facing traders and local companies, including taxation concerns and difficulties transporting goods into the state.
He said high taxes and other administrative and logistical challenges had affected the availability of goods and complicated business operations.
Despite these concerns, Makol said the business community had agreed to renew annual trading licenses and pay the required taxes to the state government.
“We, the business community, have agreed to renew our annual traders’ licenses and pay the annual taxes to the state government,” Makol said.
For his part, Information Minister Dominic Kang Deng acknowledged the challenges raised by the traders and outlined some of the difficulties facing the government.
He also linked delays in the renewal of licenses to the incomplete preparations for the upcoming general elections, saying the process had affected activities that would otherwise have taken place earlier.
The state government’s appeal highlights the need for cooperation between authorities and traders to improve revenue collection, address business challenges, and maintain the supply of essential commodities as the country prepares for the December elections.