Lobong threatens to close incompliant traffic police offices

Eastern Equatoria state governor has threatened to close traffic police offices after failing to remit tax revenues to the state chest for approximately two years.

According to Luis Lobong Lojore, traffic police offices in Nimule, Kapoeta and the state capital Torit claimed they don’t belong to the state and have been remitting money directly to the national agencies in Juba.

“The state traffic police declared in a workshop that they don’t belong to the state, and that they have been remitting the money they are collecting for plate numbers and other revenues .

“And that they have been directed by their bosses to remit the money to Juba and they should not be part of the revenue agencies in the state. Yet the offices they are occupying were given by the state government, and even we have been facilitating them,” he said.

Speaks to Eye Radio this morning, Lobong directed the state police commissioner to investigate the legality of the traffic offices in the state.

He said if they are found operating illegally, he will order ceasing of their activities and they will be replaced.

“I had directed the commissioner of police to find out and let these people provide us the documents which show that they don’t belong to the state.

“If they do so and it’s true then we will stop them from operating in the state and recruit police at the state level to take their positions and they can go to Juba,” he warned.

According to Governor Lobong, the state expected a lot in tax revenues but the alleged illegal practice has affected the collection.

“We have not been able to get the revenue as expected, and were not able to collect the revenue that the state deserves.

“We will continue and engage the national agencies that are collecting the revenue including the National Revenue Authority so that we find out and clarify these issues,” he said.

The governor has accused the National government has squeezed the state revenue revenue collection

“Truly, Eastern Equatoria has been squeezed so much despite the  international borders passing by.”

Over the years, state governments have differed with the national government on the tax collection system.

They have accused Juba of centralizing the system, leaving states’ coffers dry.

In past governors’ forum, they had called for decentralization of the manner in which taxes are collected and adoption of mechanisms to guide the national and states revenue generation.