Hundreds of cargo trucks are backed up at the Nimule border crossing between South Sudan and Uganda, causing severe delays in goods entering the country and raising fears of fuel shortages and price spikes in Juba.
The disruption stems from a South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) directive effective February 19 that suspends digital banking payments and requires all taxes and fees to be paid in cash only. Importers with funds in bank accounts cannot access sufficient cash amid the country’s chronic liquidity shortage, leaving trucks stranded at the border.
Daniel Deng, President of the South Sudan Freight Forwarders Association (SSFFA), clarified that the issue is not higher tax rates but the impracticality of the new cash mandate. “Even though importers have money in their accounts, banks simply don’t have the cash to dispense,” he said.
A new Electronic Permit (E-Permit) system has compounded the problem, with many drivers and traders still unfamiliar with the digital procedure. Since South Sudan relies heavily on Nimule for imports of fuel and basic commodities, the standstill has immediate market consequences — some Juba gas stations are running dry, and prices for essential goods are climbing.
On March 5, a high-level SSRA delegation led by Deputy Commissioner General Solomon Arik Manyok visited Nimule to assess the crisis firsthand, engage stakeholders and expedite fuel and essential goods clearance. The visit signals urgency at the authority level to resolve the logjam.
The Freight Forwarders Association has formally urged the government to reinstate digital payments, arguing the cash requirement is unworkable given liquidity constraints. Negotiations between authorities and traders are ongoing, with hopes for a swift policy reversal to restore cross-border flows and stabilize Juba’s markets.
