South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed the board of directors of the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) and appointed a new board that includes a sitting Member of Parliament as chairperson, in a move that raises questions over compliance with the governing law.
In an order read on state broadcaster SSBC on Wednesday, Kiir appointed David Deng Athorbei, the MP for Yirol West County, as chairperson of the SSRA Board, replacing the previous board led by Stephen Dhieu Dau.
Other appointees include Benjamin Ayali Koyongwa, Undersecretary for Planning in the Ministry of Finance and Planning; Mary James Ajith, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Justice; Yel Luol Koor, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry; Tong Akech Deng Aguong, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of South Sudan; and members Biel Jock, Bona Gong Deng, Gamal Abdallah Wani, and SSRA Commissioner General Moun Deng Ajuet, who will serve as an ex-officio member.
Athorbei is a veteran politician who has previously served in senior government positions, including finance minister in the pre-independence Government of Southern Sudan from 2009 to 2011, and again in independent South Sudan, as well as other cabinet roles in labour, transport, and energy sectors. He currently serves as MP for Yirol West and is a senior member of the ruling SPLM party.
His appointment has drawn attention because the South Sudan Revenue Authority Act, 2016 (as amended in 2023), sets eligibility criteria for board members and provides that members of the National Legislature are not eligible to serve on the authority’s board.
Under Section 10(2)(a) of the Act, a person may not be appointed or continue to serve as a director if he or she is a member of the National Legislature, effectively barring sitting MPs from board membership.
The Act also establishes a board composed of a chairperson and members drawn from key government institutions, including the finance ministry, justice ministry, central bank, and other stakeholders, and outlines procedures for appointment and governance under Section 7.
The SSRA is an autonomous body responsible for tax collection and revenue administration.
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