Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi yesterday directed Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Zanzibar Revenue Board (ZRB) to collaborate towards improving revenue collections in the islands.
Dr Mwinyi underscored the need for the two revenue collection agencies to work together to reinforce tax collections in Zanzibar.
President Mwinyi was speaking to TRA Commissioner General Alphayo Kidata and his entourage who paid him a courtesy call at the Vugabased State House here.
He said collaborations between the two institutions will help to address some of the pre-well as boost revenues,” President Mwinyi argued, commending TRA management for the great achievements in tax collections.
He said the revenue collection agency has performed well in Zanzibar as well, but there is still urgent need to cement cooperation for more achievements, including availability of tax experts to improve tax collection.
President Mwinyi said it was high time the successes that TRA has recorded on Tanzania mainland were replicated in Zanzibar as well by enabling ZRB to perform its duties with great efficiency.
He pledged the revolutionary government of Zanzibar’s support to TRA in ensuring that great successes are achieved in revenue collections.
TRA Commissioner Kidata assured Dr Mwinyi that the institution has had great and cordial relations with ZRB and will continue working together, saying TRA has devised strategies to ensure professionalism prevails in revenue collection, both in Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland.
He said already TRA has started deploying tax experts to Zanzibar to help in educational campaign on various tax related issues, especially ethics and information and communication technology.
“We will continually cooperate… we want TRA and ZRB to become one thing,” Commissioner Kidata said, hinting that TRA is currently working on a special system to help wananchi in identifying and settling their respective tax liabilities electronically instead of walking physically to TRA offices.
He said the agency is determined to reduce and ultimately eliminate all challenges that haunt taxpayers, insisting that TRA continues addressing the challenge of dishonest and unethical employees from its ranks.
