Deputy Governor Atong disagrees with her boss on personal income tax     

Atong Kuol Manyang Juuk, Deputy Governor of Jonglei state

By Simon Deng

The Deputy Governor of Jonglei state, Atong Kuol Manyang Juuk, has disagreed with Governor Mahjoub Biel Turuk over the total amount of money earned from personal income tax (PIT).

She told journalists on Friday that the State collects 330,000 U.S dollars in the form of personal income tax on monthly basis contrary to the 190,000 dollars reported on Thursday by Turuk.

“Frankly speaking, the two bank statements provided by the Governor to the press are incorrect. Comparatively from June 1, to December 6, 2024, Jonglei State received $542,079 at cooperative bank, and $1,142,397 at Ecobank, totaling to $1,684,494 US dollars, making an average of $336,898 per month,” said Juuk.

Juuk also denied receiving money for car rent and house rent for seven months.

She said that the State government has five advisors who fully paid, and not six as earlier claimed by Governor Turuk.

Juuk said Turuk’s statement on disbursement of PIT is not in line with the government business procedures.

On Thursday, Turuk said at a press conference that the State government collects about 190,000 dollars in PIT per month contrary to claims on social media of 400,000 dollars.

Juuk said the PIT accounts are being managed by people assigned by the Governor, including Mike Yak Daurial, who works with the Ministry of Higher Education, John Kim chuol, Nyirol County Coordinator, and John Okot Matthew, a CID officer at the Jonglei Coordination Office in Juba.

“The Governor lacks transparency and he single-handedly manages the state resources in the bank, taking away the role of the State Ministry of Finance, Director for Revenues and Chief Administrator,” she said.

“Moreover, his behaviors are inconsistent with the spirit of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, as he always makes unilateral decisions without consulting the stakeholders,” she added.

Juuk said Governor Turuk unilaterally suspended the State Minister of Finance on December 17, 2024 in violation of the revitalized peace agreement.

She added this violation undermines the directive of President Salva Kiir Mayardit to the Governors not to suspend constitutional post-holders.

“I am requesting the national legislature, particularly the Council of States to intervene and rescue the alarming situation in Jonglei State by exercising their oversight role. Secondly, I am appealing to the Audit Chamber of South Sudan to exercise their mandate and audit the financial management in Jonglei State starting from June to December of 2024,” said Juuk.

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