By Jenifer James
A major revenue scandal has rocked Juba City Council, with 32 revenue collectors arrested after investigations reportedly exposed widespread financial misconduct that cost the council approximately 50 percent of its resources.
Caretaker Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka said on Friday that the arrests followed investigations into irregularities involving revenue collectors and administrative officers, exposing serious weaknesses in the council’s former paper-based revenue collection system.
Mayor Christopher disclosed that the arrested revenue collectors are currently facing disciplinary proceedings, with some at risk of dismissal.
He noted that the financial irregularities revealed significant weaknesses in the council’s former manual revenue collection methods, which relied on Form 15 and other paper-based procedures.
“I must also report that in the last 10 days, Juba City Council has officially transitioned all its revenue operations from these manual systems to a digitized platform,”Christopher stated.
This shift to digital revenue collection is part of the council’s efforts to prevent financial misconduct, enhance transparency, and ensure proper accounting of public funds.
“We are now 100 percent digitized, 100 percent transparent, and 100 percent accountable,” Christopher emphasized.
He explained that these reforms were motivated by complaints from residents and business owners regarding the transparency of revenue collection and the fees imposed by the council.
Christopher acknowledged that limited access to official tax schedules had caused confusion among traders and residents about the charges they were expected to pay.
To address these issues, the council has launched an official website, www.jccgov.ss, where the public can access the annual budget, tax schedules, and municipal bylaws.
He stated that the website would enhance the accessibility of the council’s financial and administrative information, helping to bridge the communication gap between the institution and residents.
Additionally, Christopher announced the creation of a public relations department and plans to introduce a toll-free call center, allowing residents to report misconduct and seek information directly from the council.
He also mentioned that all revenue collectors will be required to wear official Juba City Council uniforms featuring unique identification numbers to facilitate the identification of individuals involved in any misconduct.
“If you believe someone has treated you unfairly, we want to ensure that you can easily file a report, and we will identify the individual responsible,” he assured.
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