TRA eyes better relations with taxpayers to boost collections

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda discusses a point with Finance Minister Saada Mkuya Salum in one of the past parliamentary sittings. The government is preparing a list of beneficiaries of tax exemptions. PHOTO|FILE 

By  Ludger Kasumuni, The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• The tax collection agency is now looking for a 12-month consultancy service on culture programme that aims at improving tax administration and increasing collections

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) is planning to check the way it delivers services with a view to improving relations with taxpayers and ultimately increase revenue collections starting next year.

The tax collection agency is now looking for a 12-month consultancy service on culture programme that aims at improving tax administration and increased revenue collection, TRA said in a statement.

The project is under a tax modernization programme funded by the UK Department of International Development (DFID).

“TRA is introducing a comprehensive culture programme for the first time. Realization of the intended objectives shall have organization wide impact in improving relations with tax payers and in collecting revenue in a cost effective way,” reads part of TRA statement.

Among the programme objectives include; identifying the existing service delivery gaps that hinder TRA employees to be customer centric, and to put in place mechanisms that will ensure that TRA employees obtain skills and knowledge that will change their service delivery culture and become customer oriented.

The programme is also expected to evaluate and assess mechanism which is in place for motivating staff to serve customers or tax payers in a way that TRA would wish to be served.

The consultant is also required to suggest ways that can be used by TRA to make staff utilize their working time efficiently and effectively, and ways of involving staff fully in cost reduction in discharging their day to day responsibilities.

TRA has also announced that the deadline for interested consultants to submit their applications is Wednesday, 7th January 2015.

Commenting on such move, a tax consultant Ms Shainul Bhanji said that such programme was part of efforts to change the mindset of the Taxman employees to meet tax payers’ demand and improve services particularly with new technological development.

“TRA is ISO certified so it has to keep itself update with new changes of tax collection techniques for enhancing efficiency in tax collection services,” says Ms Bhanji.

 In 2008 TRA was certified by International Standard Organisation (ISO) as a competent body for tax collection within and outside Tanzania.