04 November 2022

MTN South Sudan and Zain South Sudan continue to pay spectrum royalties and profit taxes in Sudan, despite South Sudan being a sovereign state since 2011.

Both companies obtained their operating licenses in Sudan before the secession in 2011. Zain’s licence expires in 2024, and MTN’s in 2027.

South Sudanese lawmakers have now asked the tax authorities to start collecting business profits tax, excise and VAT from MTN, Zain and other digital service providers.

This initiative is part of the efforts of the South Sudanese government to diversify the national economy, which is dependent on oil. This telecommunications revenue, which had previously escaped the tax administration, should make it possible to support public coffers as part of the post-COVID-19 economic recovery.