Officials inspecting the newly built customs and parking facility in Nesitu on Thursday - courtesy

The national government and the government of Central Equatoria State have set up a joint task force to remove all illegal checkpoints along the Juba–Nesitu–Nimule highway.

The announcement followed a visit by Central Equatoria Deputy Governor Paulino Lukudu Obede, South Sudan Revenue Authority Commissioner General Simon Akuei Deng, and Juba County Commissioner Emmanuel Tete Ezbon to the Nesitu checkpoint on Thursday.

The delegation held a meeting with security organs at the checkpoint to address complaints of illegal roadblocks and unauthorized collections targeting truck drivers.

The task force will be chaired by the Commissioner of Customs Service and will oversee the removal of all unlawful checkpoints, except those justified for legitimate security operations.

“The committee we are establishing will supervise the work and complaints being raised by truck drivers. It will also be empowered to investigate those who are violating the law.

We will be watching Nesitu ad this area, in addition, the committee will remove all the illegal checkpoints, the checkpoint should only be at Nesitu here, unless for security reason, but no taxes, even the parking fee that Lokiliri payam is taking 5,000 SSP we will just suspend it temporary to solve this problem,” said  Obede.

Simon Akuei Deng, the Commissioner General of South Sudan Revenue Authority said transit goods should not be charged with parking fees.

“We will not be charging people on the highway, but we have our park here, once we resolve it, of course we have a right because we have a gate, we have invested on that park. So, inside the park you have to pay certain fees agreeable to both South Sudan Revenue Authority and Central Equatoria state,” he said.

On his part, the commissioner of Juba County, Emmanuel Tete called on the security personnel not to harass truck drivers along the highway.

“At Aru-junction there is a government, at Nesitu there is a government, so when a truck reaches here please don’t ask the drivers, because I saw with my own eyes that drivers prepare changes when they reach nearby to give you the money this is the truth. Of you do this to drivers of small cars as fines, there should be receipts, but this should not be done to truck drivers,” he said.

The Nesitu checkpoint, located about 23 kilometers from Juba in Lokiliri Payam, hosts a customs office where goods entering the capital from East Africa are cleared before proceeding to the city.