South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
Boat owners under their umbrella group the National Boats Workers Trade Union on Wednesday announced the suspension of their operations, over exorbitant charges imposed on them at illegal checkpoints along the Nile River.
Moses Duom Deer, the Chairperson for South Sudan National Boats Workers’ Trade Union, told The Dawn that there are close to 50 illegal check points from Gondokoro up to Malakal port, adding that these checkpoints have been in existence for the past six years.
He said some of the boat owners have come under violent attacks from unidentified armed groups.
“We have suffered for 6 years, there are many things happening, people are getting killed, goods looted and a lot of money robbed, the reason for the suspension of the operations of our motor boats is due to high taxes imposed at illegal checkpoints,” Duom said in an interview in Juba.
Duom said they are calling on the national ministry of transport and the national ministry of trade and industry to intervene to resolve the issue of illegal checkpoints and the exorbitant charges along the Nile River.
He said the decision to suspend operations came in the wake of the meeting on April 5, 2024, between boat owners and traders with the national boats workers trade union.
Duom noted that incessant violent attacks and killing of their members along the Nile River cannot be blamed on armed rebel groups.
“Every checkpoint asks for about 1 million South Sudan Pounds, or at least 500,000 SSP, but t no receipt is issued,” he disclosed.
He said each motor boat costs about 31 million South Sudan Pounds.
Duom said that they are charged taxes by both the government and civilians who stage illegal checkpoints along the Nile River.
“The leadership of the national boat workers trade union, learnt with dismay of the random confiscation of items like sugar, maize flour, petrol and cooking oil. We therefore, hope to see new development or changes that will enhance the better way to solve these issues,” he said.
Water transport remains an important avenue for many States, such as Upper Nile, Unity, Northern Bahr El Ghazal States and many others which lack road connectivity.