JUBA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan said on Friday that it collected over 7 billion South Sudanese Pounds (36 million U.S. dollars) in the last six months from non-oil sources.
Olympio Attipoe, commissioner general of the National Revenue Authority (NRA), said the establishment of harmonized tax collection system has recorded success.
"Since we have the duty to collect money in a very transparent manner, the money the commission has collected and remitted to the government since January to June is over 7 billion South Sudanese pounds (36 million U.S. dollars)," said Attipoe.
The commissioner said in January that the revenue authority earned 14.2 million U.S dollars in non-oil revenue for the first time under the Non-oil Revenue Mobilization and Accountability project supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
South Sudan depends on oil revenue to finance its fiscal budget, but oil production was disrupted following outbreak of conflict in December 2013.
The government has mandated the NRA to assess, collect, control and enforce laws relating to taxation and revenues in the country.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir recently appreciated the National Revenue Authority's work, saying there has been a significant improvement reported in non-oil revenue collection.
"These are the kind of positive changes we must undertake to improve our economy so that government is able to cater for its obligations," Kiir said during his televized speech to mark the eighth independence anniversary.
South Sudan is struggling to increase production of crude oil, months after the signing of the peace deal in September 2018.
Currently it pumps about 175,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
