Barges on route from Kosti, in Sudan, to Juba experience many difficulties during the journey including long delays at key ports and heavy taxing.
Gabriel Deng Malwal, who works in the voluntary repatriation program, told CRN News that a barge which arrived on Tuesday in Juba was help up for ten hours in Tonja and Fangak and returnees were badly treated.He said the barge had to pay nearly 7,000 pounds of taxes in Tonja Port of Unity state.
Mr Deng explained that the Police asked for 3,900 pounds while the army charged 2,700 pounds.
He added that the barge was detained in Fanjak for seven hours simply because the money they were demanding was 50 Pounds short.
Mr Deng said the returnees were not allowed to get off the barge to ease themselves in Tonja port.
He explained that if any person was caught doing so, he or she would receive 50 lashes and pay a fine of 250 Pounds otherwise would not return to the barge.
Mr Deng urged the Government to put an end to these malpractices at Tonja and Fangak ports because they delay the trip to Juba.