South Sudan justifies Crawford Capital Port collection role

South Sudan has moved to publicly defend its decision to appoint Crawford Capital Limited to support the rollout of its revenue collection systems  at the country’s ports, as scrutiny grows over ongoing public sector digital reforms.

In two separate statements issued on May 13, 2026, the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services (MICT&PS) and the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA) described Crawford Capital as a technical and research partner assisting in the modernisation of government systems and improvement of service delivery.

The Ministry of ICT said its engagement with Crawford Capital forms part of a broader government programme aimed at expanding e-government services and strengthening administrative coordination across public institutions.

According to the ministry, the initiative is intended to improve transparency, accountability and accessibility in public service delivery while supporting citizen-centred digital systems tailored to South Sudan’s needs.

“The engagement is grounded in established institutional procedures and aligns with government-approved reform priorities and resolutions of the Council of Ministers,” said ICT Minister Ateny Wek Ateny.

Ateny added that digital transformation remains a key governance reform agenda aimed at modernising public administration and strengthening institutional effectiveness across government.

At the same time, the SSRA credited digital reforms supported through the partnership for improving national revenue collection systems and enhancing oversight in public financial management.

The authority said revenue collection had previously relied heavily on manual systems, leading to inefficiencies, weak oversight, delayed reconciliations and exposure to revenue leakages.

It noted that the introduction of structured digital systems had improved transaction monitoring, auditability, reconciliation and accountability in revenue administration.

According to SSRA, the reforms are currently generating approximately 130 billion South Sudanese Pounds monthly, with cumulative collections nearing 1 trillion South Sudanese Pounds over the past eight months, with the highest monthly collections recorded in April 2026.

The authority further said the new systems now support real-time reporting and stronger enforcement of revenue collection procedures across the country.

SSRA maintained that its engagement with Crawford Capital was undertaken lawfully and within approved government reform frameworks aimed at modernising public revenue administration and strengthening state institutions.

Both institutions reiterated their commitment to advancing digital transformation initiatives designed to improve efficiency, accountability and public trust in government systems across South Sudan.