Njowepo
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 26, 2008
- 9,710
- 2,226
[h=2]Survey: Police, judiciary, lands, TRA most corrupt[/h] By Sylivester Domasa
19th November 2011
PCCB DG says Africa losing up to USD 40bn to the vice
Experts say country`s tax regime weak, billions flowing out
PCCB Director General Edward Hosea
Police, judiciary, lands and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) have been cited as leading institutions in corruption in the country.
The institutions were named in the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) latest survey report 2011, released in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
PCCB Director General Edward Hosea told journalists that the research, co- sponsored by Denmark and Tanzania governments, was conducted by FACEIT, a Non-governmental organization.
Hosea said police force led the index, scoring 76 percent followed by courts which scored 71 percent, lands 63 percent while Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) scored 54.8 percent.
The study was conducted in 2002 by ERSF followed by FACEIT in 2009, revealing the real situation of corruption in the country, he elaborated.
The PCCB boss said the report cited the National Social Security Fund, Insurance, Tender Boards, the National Assembly, Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) and PCCB as corruption free institutions.
Hosea said that the PCCB has been working with the institutions, helping them to take actions of controlling this problem, adding that each had formed a department to fight the vice.
Hosea said African countries each year lose between USD 20 and 40 billion to corruption, while 50 percent of low income people are forced to bribe to get their rights.
He called on Tanzanians to work with the PCCB by providing information to anti-corruption officials to expose those engaging in the vice.
He added that in a bid to intensify the campaign against corruption, PCCB is working with the government to include the teaching of ethics from primary to the university level.
Meanwhile, UK-based tax consultants and Tanzanian economic experts said the country was losing billions of shillings every year through weak tax regimes and illicit flows outside the country.
Speaking at a tax and development forum yesterday in Dar es Salaam, the experts said increased tax exemptions, narrow tax base, inefficiency are behind the limited development in the country.
The government has to ensure there is accountability, responsiveness, transparency and domestic capacity building as key alternatives in reforming the tax system, the participants noted at the forum organised by Norwegian Church Aid and The Royal Norwegian Embassy.
Prof Odd Helge Fjeldstad, Tax director at the International Centre on Tax and Development (ICTD) and a former member of the Norwegian Task Force on Capital Flight said more needs to be done by the government to ensure the taxes contributed bring development.
He said currently the government has less than 500,000 citizens registered as taxpayers, forcing the government to depend on foreign aid which in turn cannot bring the desired level of development.
Efforts from civil societies, private sectors, business organisations need to be recognised by the government through setting up and enforcing attractive environment and regulations to every tax payer, he said.
The professor said taxation was crucial in building development and that it was too important to be left to key experts only. You need to mobilise taxpayers, citizens communities, business association so as to establish reliable base for revenue gathering.
Dr Prosper Ngowi - Economist and lecturer at the Mzumbe University, Dar es Salaam campus told participants that the country lacks one-stop shop where taxpayers can pay taxes accordingly as each ministry or sector independently indicates modalities and offices for paying taxes.
People feel tired of traveling long distances to get to the place to pay taxes. People also question the necessity of paying taxes, pointed Ngowi in his contribution.
Ngowi stressed that multiplicity and high tax rates are inevitable to compensate lost revenues imposed by officials as a challenge against increasing the number of registered taxpayers in the country. He said people will normally question why they should pay tax for some one elses fault this confuses tax payers. He commended the government steps of using the mobile phone technology in paying of taxes.
Moses Kulaba, Convener at Policy Forum Budget Working Group said chronic tax incentives and exemptions to foreign companies especially mineral and tourism sectors contributed to the small tax revenue as a percentage of the GDP.
He cited the small tax base and over burdening taxpayers, systemic non tax barriers as contributing to high costs of doing business and thus inviting a small number of registered tax payers.
For his part Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe and economist by profession said while most campaigns regarding taxation have been addressed towards the mining sector, debt financing and telecommunication companies should also be considered.
He urged TPDC and TRA to effectively collect and audit money paid by mining sectors so that the government can get what it deserves to improve its infrastructures and living conditions of its people.
19th November 2011
PCCB Director General Edward Hosea
Police, judiciary, lands and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) have been cited as leading institutions in corruption in the country.
The institutions were named in the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) latest survey report 2011, released in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
PCCB Director General Edward Hosea told journalists that the research, co- sponsored by Denmark and Tanzania governments, was conducted by FACEIT, a Non-governmental organization.
Hosea said police force led the index, scoring 76 percent followed by courts which scored 71 percent, lands 63 percent while Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) scored 54.8 percent.
The study was conducted in 2002 by ERSF followed by FACEIT in 2009, revealing the real situation of corruption in the country, he elaborated.
The PCCB boss said the report cited the National Social Security Fund, Insurance, Tender Boards, the National Assembly, Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) and PCCB as corruption free institutions.
Hosea said that the PCCB has been working with the institutions, helping them to take actions of controlling this problem, adding that each had formed a department to fight the vice.
Hosea said African countries each year lose between USD 20 and 40 billion to corruption, while 50 percent of low income people are forced to bribe to get their rights.
He called on Tanzanians to work with the PCCB by providing information to anti-corruption officials to expose those engaging in the vice.
He added that in a bid to intensify the campaign against corruption, PCCB is working with the government to include the teaching of ethics from primary to the university level.
Meanwhile, UK-based tax consultants and Tanzanian economic experts said the country was losing billions of shillings every year through weak tax regimes and illicit flows outside the country.
Speaking at a tax and development forum yesterday in Dar es Salaam, the experts said increased tax exemptions, narrow tax base, inefficiency are behind the limited development in the country.
The government has to ensure there is accountability, responsiveness, transparency and domestic capacity building as key alternatives in reforming the tax system, the participants noted at the forum organised by Norwegian Church Aid and The Royal Norwegian Embassy.
Prof Odd Helge Fjeldstad, Tax director at the International Centre on Tax and Development (ICTD) and a former member of the Norwegian Task Force on Capital Flight said more needs to be done by the government to ensure the taxes contributed bring development.
He said currently the government has less than 500,000 citizens registered as taxpayers, forcing the government to depend on foreign aid which in turn cannot bring the desired level of development.
Efforts from civil societies, private sectors, business organisations need to be recognised by the government through setting up and enforcing attractive environment and regulations to every tax payer, he said.
The professor said taxation was crucial in building development and that it was too important to be left to key experts only. You need to mobilise taxpayers, citizens communities, business association so as to establish reliable base for revenue gathering.
Dr Prosper Ngowi - Economist and lecturer at the Mzumbe University, Dar es Salaam campus told participants that the country lacks one-stop shop where taxpayers can pay taxes accordingly as each ministry or sector independently indicates modalities and offices for paying taxes.
People feel tired of traveling long distances to get to the place to pay taxes. People also question the necessity of paying taxes, pointed Ngowi in his contribution.
Ngowi stressed that multiplicity and high tax rates are inevitable to compensate lost revenues imposed by officials as a challenge against increasing the number of registered taxpayers in the country. He said people will normally question why they should pay tax for some one elses fault this confuses tax payers. He commended the government steps of using the mobile phone technology in paying of taxes.
Moses Kulaba, Convener at Policy Forum Budget Working Group said chronic tax incentives and exemptions to foreign companies especially mineral and tourism sectors contributed to the small tax revenue as a percentage of the GDP.
He cited the small tax base and over burdening taxpayers, systemic non tax barriers as contributing to high costs of doing business and thus inviting a small number of registered tax payers.
For his part Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe and economist by profession said while most campaigns regarding taxation have been addressed towards the mining sector, debt financing and telecommunication companies should also be considered.
He urged TPDC and TRA to effectively collect and audit money paid by mining sectors so that the government can get what it deserves to improve its infrastructures and living conditions of its people.
