South Sudan and Uganda have signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening customs cooperation, streamlining cross-border trade, and jointly combating tax evasion along their shared frontier.
The agreement, formally finalized on Tuesday, marks the third historic pact between the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). Designed to address persistent logistical and fiscal challenges, the new framework introduces a suite of advanced regulatory measures, including digital interoperability between customs systems, joint transit trade facilitation, structured information sharing, and targeted capacity-building initiatives for border personnel.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, URA Commissioner General John Musinguzi Rujoki emphasized that the enhanced partnership will critically reinforce the enforcement of electronic permit systems. This technological integration is expected to plug major revenue leakages by preventing the illicit diversion or rerouting of goods officially destined for South Sudan.
“One of the new areas is the enforcement of the use of e-permits, which has greatly improved revenue collection in South Sudan, but also improved controls on goods that go to South Sudan and come back to Uganda without paying the right taxes,” Rujoki explained.
Rujoki noted that the collaborative measures are mutually beneficial: they actively protect South Sudan’s expanding tax base while simultaneously enabling Ugandan authorities to curb the dumping of unrecorded goods into their domestic market. By closing loopholes that have historically strained trade relations, the two revenue bodies aim to foster a predictable, transparent, and legally compliant trading environment for regional traders, business owners, and transport operators.
Echoing these sentiments, SSRA Commissioner General Ambassador Moun Deng Ajuet highlighted that both nations have established robust administrative mechanisms to swiftly resolve operational challenges as they arise during the implementation phase. Ajuet pointed out that the expanded scope of cooperation features joint enforcement protocols using the electronic permit system to closely monitor transit goods in real-time and thwart illegal cargo rerouting.
According to the SSRA leadership, certain provisions of the agreement—such as updated and tighter procedures governing the modification of cargo destinations—will take immediate effect. However, officials noted that the broader economic and administrative impact of the agreement will ultimately depend on rigorous, consistent enforcement at key border crossings.
