PRESIDENT Magufuli has expressed dismay over the unsatisfactory performance of Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), noting that it is collecting taxes from only 2.7 million Tanzanians out of over 55 million Tanzanians.
He said that due that trend, TRA will continue to squeeze a few tax payers, while it can broaden the tax payers’ base and setting favourable rates that can serve as an incentive for many people to pay taxes.
The President made the remarks at the State House in Dar es Salaam yesterday, at a function for the swearing-in of the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning (Policy), Mr Adolf Hyasinth Ndunguru, and the Deputy Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General, Mr Msafiri Mbibo.
Those who witnessed the event included the Vice- President, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi.
In his remarks, President Magufuli directed TRA and the Ministry of Finance and Planning to broaden the tax base and create a friendly tax payment environment, in order to boost collections.
“In border areas, traders open shops in other countries, in order to avoid harassments by TRA. Set reasonable rates that many people can afford, instead of high ones that they dodge, ” he remarked.
The President said he was upset by the pile up of tax-related cases in courts, for which he called for speedy resolution, as delays led to many taxes remaining unpaid for long periods.
He praised the Deputy Finance and Planning minister, Dr Ashatu Kijaji, for keenly monitoring expenditure of budgetary allocations for various projects and taking appropriate actions, including having unspent money returned to the Treasury for re-location elsewhere.
The President asked the newly appointed officials, Mr Ndunguru and Mr Mbibo, to fix shortcomings in their new offices, including offloading staff who were impediments to implementation of government plans.
Vice-President Suluhu Hassan expressed optimism that the appointees would perform exemplarily as they would be serving in offices that are crucial to the nation’s economic development.
