Africa-Press – Tanzania. FINANCE and Planning Minister Dr Philip Mpango has ordered the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) management to suspend its 22 employees, including regional managers, to pave the way for investigation on several allegations against them.
Dr Mpango issued the order to TRA Commissioner General Dr Edwin Mhede on Wednesday in Dodoma during the working session that involved TRA board members, management and regional managers.
According to Dr Mpango, the employees in question face several allegations, including failure to properly discharge their responsibilities, involvement in corruption practices and laxity, with the malpractices contributing to loss of government revenues.
During the working session, the minister and the TRA leadership strategised on how to improve the business environment in the country, including expanding tax and non-tax revenue base.
Dr Mpango said thorough investigation must be carried out against the TRA employees who are accused of indulging in corruption practices, failure to enforce the use of Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) and issuing false tax estimates to large scale traders.
The minister ordered the TRA management to submit the report on the findings to him within three months, with effect from Wednesday.
The TRA employees facing suspension include Mr Brighton Kasilo who is stationed in Tanga, Rukwa Region’s Acting TRA Manager, Rogers Mkama, Shinyanga region’s TRA Inspection Manager, Ms Sara Senso and Manager in Charge of EFDs Mr Kwibin Nyamuhanga.
Other TRA regional managers facing suspension with their regions in brackets are Kabula Mwemezi (Dodoma), Jacob Mtemang’ombe (Kigoma), Benward Mwakatundu (Kasulu), Alex Chacha (Biharamulo) and acting Ruangwa TRA Manager Florian Rubambwa.
TRA officers in Songwe Region, Ms Janeth Mlack and Joshua Daudi Samwel also face suspension.
Others are Officer in Charge of Tarakea TRA Station in Kilimanjaro Region, Maududi Tingwa and officers stationed in Same District Adam Benta and Adam Ruhusa.
Other officers facing suspension are Hilda Samuel Mahenge, Ibrahim Lyndama and Geofrey Mwinuka all from Njombe Region while in Ilala District officers facing suspension are Stephen Kauzen, Kimweli, Ngobya, Raphael Meng’alai, Benedict Kasele and Nicodemus Mwandago.
“I direct you, the TRA Commissioner General Dr Edwin Mhede, to relieve the accused persons of their duties with effect from today, as per the Regulation No. 37 of Public Service Regulations 2003),” he said.
He added: “I direct you to order the TRA Director of Internal Affairs to investigate all the accused employees within 90 days and furnish me with the findings report, including measures instituted against each one.”
Dr Mpango also ordered the Commissioner General to transfer TRA officers who have overstayed in a single duty station.
“I fully understand that the transfer of employees is a costly measure but it is better to do it since staying in one station for a long time affects performance as some tend to establish networks of theft of government money,” he stressed.
On the use of EFDs, the minister said it is the duty of TRA to enforce the practice across the country. He issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Authority to resolve the problem related to receipts becoming faint after a few days.
“For traders to keep records they must produce photocopies of EFDs receipts simply because failure to do so the receipts become faint just a few days later. Why should this problem happen to receipts produced by TRA gadgets only and not those produced in supermarkets?” the minister queried.
Dr Mpango denounced the malpractice by some TRA officials of issuing unrealistic tax estimates to traders, including withholding their bank accounts so that they can later ask for bribes from business persons. He said the malpractice is bad and can discourage potential investors.
“Some traders, especially small scale businesspersons now don’t make bank transactions, including depositing money into their bank accounts for fear that TRA can use their bank statements to impose high tax estimates on them,” he said, ordering TRA management to properly investigate the matter for fair tax estimates.
Speaking on a special token to whistleblowers, Dr Mpango said some unfaithful TRA officers are abusing the arrangement as complaints from some whistleblowers that relate to being denied the prize are rampant.
The minister said some unfaithful TRA officers have been revealing the identities of whistleblowers to the tax evaders, risking the lives of the individuals who volunteer to furnish information to TRA.
He banned the practice of closing down business of people who fail to settle tax; instead they should have talks with them on the best modality to settle the debts.
He directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Doto James to establish an office that will address traders’ complaints.
Deputy Minister for Finance and Planning Ms Mwanaidi Ali Khamis asked TRA officers to visit traders in their areas to listen and resolve their problems instead of staying in offices waiting for revenue collection.
TRA Commissioner General Dr Mhede on his part assured Dr Mpango to work on all directives and orders he issued.
