TRA seeks divine power to reign in corrupt employees

By Grace Kambaulauya

suspended Commissioner General (CG) of TRA, Mr Rished Bade

 Newly recruited Tanzania Revenue Authority officials have been surrendered to God to help them desist graft and serve the nation diligently as the revenue body’s top brass remains suspended.

 

The Institute of Tax Administration deputy rector, Dr Lewis Ishemoi said in Dar es Salaam yesterday while inviting the chairperson of Religious Leaders Peace Committee, Sheikh Alhad Musa Salum and vice chairperson, Reverend George Fupe to pray for the 150 new recruits of the revenue body. “As a move to enforce good conduct among staff, the Tanzania Revenue Authority has invited Religious Leaders’ Peace Committee to present a paper on “Ethics to new employees currently undergoing in-house training at the ITA,” Dr Ishemoi said.

 

He said the leaders urged the employees to exercise ethical practices and change their attitude to meet TRA’s values in accountability, integrity and professionalism.

 

“The recently recruited TRA graduates who are undergoing a one -year competence based training course to equip them with necessary skills needed to excel in various roles in the tax management arena,” he noted.

TRA Director for Taxpayer Services and Education, Richard Kayombo said in a statement that upon completion of the course, the recruits are expected to be given permanent roles to fill vacant positions within the scandal riddled tax body.

 

The course started last April and was inaugurated by suspended Commissioner General, Rished Bade.  Bade and several directors at TRA were suspended from office last week by President John Pombe Magufuli following a loss of over 80bn/- through tax evasion involving 349 containers.

Bade was replaced by Dr Philip Mpango who is acting Commissioner General. Dr Mpango was until yesterday Executive Secretary in the President’s Office (Planning Commission).

 

Dr Mpango previously held positions as Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs; Personal Assistant to the President (Economic Affairs); Head of the President’s Economic Advisory Unit and as a Senior Economist for the World Bank.

 

Before Chief Secretary Sefue announced the suspension of the TRA boss, Prime Minister Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa had made an impromptu tour of Tanzania Ports Authority where he held a meeting with the TRA staff before suspending top five revenue officers including Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Tiagi Masamaki and an assistant manager at Customs Service Centre Habib Mponezya.

 

Prime Minister Majaliwa ordered Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ernest Mangu and the TRA management to ensure Masamaki and Mponezya were apprehended and their travel documents withheld.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN