By Kei Emmanuel Duku
The Director General of South Sudan’s Civil Registry, Nationality, Passport, and Immigration has announced an intensified crackdown on officials involved in illegal activities.
The operation targets those who solicit bribes from the public and individuals who forge official documents, including Form 15.
During a joint press conference with the South Sudan National Revenue Authority (NRA), Maj. Gen. Elia Kosta Faustino confirmed that some officials have already been arrested for forging documents related to visas, national identity cards, passports, and other immigration services.
He did not, however, disclose the identities or the exact number of those arrested.
“This practice is widespread across the country,” Maj. Gen. Faustino stated, adding that his directorate is working in partnership with the NRA. “Those who try to forge these documents will be arrested and taken to a police court. If they are convicted, administrative action will be taken against the individuals.”
He also placed blame on citizens who entrust officials with processing their documents, urging them to handle their own applications to prevent fraud. “If you want to process a document, come by yourself. Do not allow anyone to process it for you. This is when forgery happens,” he said.
In the same briefing, Simon Akuei Deng, Commissioner General of the NRA, stated that all old financial forms are no longer valid.
He described the use of these old forms as “improper, unlawful, and unacceptable,” and announced that new, customized forms with enhanced security features have been issued.
“The new customized financial forms are equipped with enhanced security features to prevent misuse and revenue leakage,” Deng said, emphasizing that they are the only valid forms for official transactions.
He warned that using old forms constitutes forgery and fraudulent practice, which is punishable by law and can lead to the dismissal of public officers involved.
Deng acknowledged that some old forms have overstayed in public circulation, contributing to the problem of forgery. He strongly advised the public to “demand and use only the new financial forms in their dealings with the revenue officers” to protect both taxpayers and the government from fraud and revenue loss.
The NRA is currently assessing the extent of the financial loss incurred.