South Sudan Advances Customs Integration With the East African Community

(ARUSHA, TANZANIA) – South Sudan is moving to modernise customs systems and resolve persistent border delays as part of wider East African trade reforms agreed at a high level meeting in Tanzania.

Revenue authority leaders from across the region met in Arusha for a three day leadership and change management workshop organised by the International Monetary Fund and AFRITAC East. The gathering, which ended on Wednesday evening, focused on building the skills needed to carry out institutional reforms and improve the performance of tax and customs agencies.

South Sudan’s Commissioner General Moun Deng Ajuet used the visit to hold separate talks with Annette Ssemuwemba of the East African Community secretariat. Their discussions centred on accelerating trade reforms, easing congestion at the Nimule border crossing, and aligning Juba with key regional frameworks on customs modernisation and intra-EAC commerce.

The Nimule crossing, a vital trade corridor linking South Sudan to Uganda and the wider region, has long been affected by slow clearance procedures and administrative bottlenecks. Smoother operations there are seen as essential to lowering the cost of goods in South Sudanese markets and increasing the flow of legitimate trade.

During the workshop, Commissioner General Ajuet stressed that leadership integrity must be at the centre of institutional performance. He told delegates that hiring relatives or unqualified people based on personal connections damages credibility. He called on revenue bodies to recruit only competent staff.

Thabo Letjama, a senior economist in the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department, urged participants to remain open to continuous learning. He argued that leaders must accept vulnerability if they are to grow and make a lasting impact. Nothing in this world is perfect, he said, including leaders, adding that everyone is a work in progress.

The programme covered adaptive leadership, communication strategies, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Sessions also examined the role of technology, transparency, accountability, and women’s economic participation in strengthening revenue administrations.

Ajuet was accompanied by Commissioner for Customs John Mading Bol, Commissioner for Domestic Revenue Lino Ajang Ajan, Commissioner for Strategy, Research and Planning Morris Madut, and Executive Director in the Office of the Commissioner General Luca Lual. All five received certificates at the close of the workshop.

Total trade passing through Nimule is valued at hundreds of millions of US dollars each year. The costs associated with border delays and outdated customs processes run into tens of millions of dollars annually