Juba City Council: New Digital Payment System Replaces Manual Collection

• The Juba City Council (JCC) has launched a new digital payment system and public website to improve financial transparency and accountability.
• Investigations led by Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka uncovered that 50% of the Council's resources were lost to malpractice, resulting in 32 arrests.
• The new digital system, replacing all manual revenue collection, is backed by the ongoing deliberations of the Draft National Payment System Bill, 2025.
• The official JCC website (jccrevenue.com) provides public access to the annual budget, tax schedules, and Juba City Council website bylaws.
• Additional reforms include a new public relations department, a planned toll-free call center, and uniformed revenue collectors with unique identification numbers.

The newly launched official website, jccrevenue.com, serves as a central repository for essential documents, including the annual budget, detailed tax schedules, and municipal bylaws.

The Juba City Council (JCC) has officially transitioned its financial operations to a new digital payment system, a move announced by Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka. This significant shift, completed within the last ten days, replaces all previous manual revenue collection methods, including the use of Form 15 and other paper-based forms, with a fully digitized approach. The initiative is a direct response to long-standing concerns regarding the transparency of revenue collection and the management of public funds within the municipality.

Mayor Swaka emphasized that the council is now "100 percent digitalized, 100 percent transparent, [and] 100 percent accountable," signaling a new era for JCC's financial dealings. This comprehensive reform package also includes the launch of a dedicated public website, jccrevenue.com, designed to provide residents and businesses with direct access to crucial municipal information. These changes are intended to bolster public confidence and improve the overall accountability of the city's financial processes.

The impetus for these sweeping changes stems from an internal investigation that uncovered widespread financial malpractices within the Juba City Council. Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka revealed that these investigations identified instances of misconduct involving both revenue collectors and administrative officers. Alarmingly, the probe concluded that approximately 50 percent of the Council's total resources were lost due to these illicit activities.

In response to these findings, disciplinary actions have been initiated against JCC employees implicated in graft, leading to the arrest of 32 rate collectors. These individuals are currently facing disciplinary proceedings, with some potentially facing dismissal. The severity of these findings provided the JCC with a clear mandate to implement fundamental reforms to its financial management systems, aiming to eradicate the systemic issues that led to such significant resource depletion.

A key component of the JCC's reform agenda is the establishment of greater public access to municipal information, directly addressing past complaints from residents and business owners about the opacity of revenue collection. The newly launched official website, jccrevenue.com, serves as a central repository for essential documents, including the annual budget, detailed tax schedules, and municipal bylaws. This initiative directly tackles previous accusations that the council's rate schedules were kept secret, leaving many traders and residents uncertain about their financial obligations.

Mayor Swaka acknowledged the historical "gap in interaction" between the city and its populace, where the public often lacked clarity on the fees and taxes expected of them. By making this information readily available online, the JCC aims to improve communication and ensure that residents can easily understand the laws and regulations governing the city. This move towards South Sudan municipal transparency is expected to foster a more informed and compliant populace, strengthening the overall relationship between the council and the community it serves.

Beyond the Juba City Council digital payment system and public website, the JCC has introduced several operational reforms to enhance accountability and public trust. The executive council's proposals for JCC digital revenue collection, spurred by public complaints, culminated in the Draft National Payment System Bill, 2025, being deliberated. This legal framework underpins the new system, which is designed to improve the accountability of revenue collection and reinforce public confidence in the municipal administration.

Further measures under these JCC financial malpractice reforms include the establishment of a public relations department to facilitate better communication through various platforms, alongside plans for a toll-free call center. This call center will enable residents to directly report concerns and seek information from the institution. To address issues with revenue collectors, all collectors are now mandated to wear Juba City Council uniforms displaying unique control numbers linked to their identities. This system allows residents to easily identify and report any misconduct, ensuring that accountability extends to individual interactions.

Lawyers advising clients operating or investing in Juba should familiarize themselves with the Juba City Council's new digital payment system and public website (jccgov.ss). This provides direct access to municipal bylaws, tax schedules, and operational information, which is crucial for ensuring compliance, conducting due diligence, and advising on local business and property matters. The reforms also signal increased scrutiny on revenue collection and potential changes in how municipal disputes are handled.

Source: Information sourced from local reports.