Arusha to host TRA meeting on corruption elimination

By Correspondent

Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA)

Stakeholders from different sectors are scheduled to meet in Arusha next Monday for crucial discussions aimed to develop a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy and action plan for the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

 

The three-day workshop is part of TRA’s ambitious and strategic initiative designed to eliminate corruption and related misconducts within its own circles.

 

At the moment, TRA has internally-developed anti-corruption strategy, which the watchdog’s officials admitted has some “missing links.”

 

“It’s true we drafted anti-corruption strategy, which based on ideas and expertise from our own staff. But this strategy lacks important views from external stakeholders,” said Stella Cosmas, TRA’s Director for Internal Affairs, who doubles as in-charge of staff integrity, ethics and anti-corruption unit.

 

“Now we want to make it more comprehensive, combining constructive inputs and ideas from our external stakeholders, including the business community which to a greater extent is deemed to be the supply side of corruption,” she added.

 

Ms Cosmas expressed optimism that the envisaged new TRA anti-corruption strategy and action plan, expected to be implemented jointly with external stakeholders, would be more efficient and effective in terms of curbing corruption within TRA circles. 

 

Corruption risks in different TRA functional areas, their root causes, likelihood and impact will be analyzed during the workshop, which will be attended by development partners, East African and Malawi revenue authorities.

 

Others are non-state Actors, media, taxpayers, tax consultants, good governance coordination unit, ethics secretariat, according to TRA director of internal affairs.

 

“TRA recognizes that corruption is a critical challenge that negatively impacts on collection of government revenues as well as tarnishing its corporate image.

 

“That’s why we are taking bold steps to come up with comprehensive anti-corruption strategy, which will be developed through participatory approaches and constructive inputs from external stakeholders,” said Ms Cosmas.

 

Among other things, she said, the new strategy would focus on enforcement of the existing anti-corruption laws, robust education campaigns on the ill effects of corruption as well as instituting preventive measures which will reduce changes of TRA employees and external stakeholders becoming corrupt, she noted.

 

TRA has secured a consultancy, namely the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) who will work hand in hand with a local team in developing an effective anti-corruption strategy and action plan, including setting up monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, she added.