The Governor of Central Equatoria State, Emmanuel Adil Anthony, has instituted a provisional committee to delve into the ongoing land and shop disputes at Konyo-konyo Market in Juba, where allegations of traders being subjected to dual taxation have arisen.
The committee is spearheaded by the state’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Tom Wani Sebit, with Acting Juba Mayor Emmanuel Khamis Richard serving as his deputy. The First Director General of the Ministry of Housing, Lands, and Public Utilities has been appointed as the committee’s secretary. Other members encompass the state’s Chief of Legal Administration and Public Prosecution Attorney, a delegate from the Islamic Council, and a representative from the National Security Service.
Their mandate is to probe the enduring contention surrounding “the lands/shops of the Islamic Council at Konyo-Konyo Market” and to facilitate a resolution. They are obligated to furnish the governor with daily updates “until the conclusion of their duties, as stipulated by this Gubernatorial Decree.”
The tussle for the ownership of 200 shops within a segment of the Konyo-konyo Market has been a longstanding issue between the Juba City Council and the South Sudan Islamic Council. This discord has purportedly led to traders being subjected to undue duress and redundant ground rental fees, compelling them to escalate their prices to offset these impositions.
On August 28, 2022, the state’s Chamber of Commerce implored both the Juba City Council and the Islamic Council to await a judicial decision regarding their claims to the shops. Robert Pitia, the Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce, conveyed to Eye Radio that the disputing entities should abstain from levying fees on leasing traders until the judiciary settles the matter.
