TRA 'most corrupt in EA'

[BAK]

TRA 'most corrupt in EA'
​

By Damas Kanyabwoya
THE CITIZEN

Tanzania is the least efficient and most corrupt in goods clearance in the region, a recent survey indicates.

About 73 per cent of clearing and forwarding agents interviewed in Dar es Salaam and at transit points in northern Tanzania said there was rampant corruption compared to 53 per cent in Kenya, 52 per cent in Burundi, 51 per cent in Uganda and 9 per cent in Rwanda.

But the survey carried out by the Steadman Group has raised eyebrows in some quarters, with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) questioning the methodology employed in the study.

A senior TRA official, however, said although the study findings cannot be entirely dismissed as irrelevant, he was concerned that the methodology used to arrive at the conclusions in the report was not uniform.

As a result, he said, it presented unequal footing for comparisons between transit points in different countries.

The number of clearing and forwarding agents (CFAs) interviewed from different transit stations were inconsistent and not proportional to the volumes of business transactions in the respective stations.

From the total 223 CFAs interviewed in the six countries 40 were from Dar es Salaam with 200 transactions tracked, while for Mombassa port, 20 CFAs were interviewed with 100 transactions tracked.

"The sample size (CFAs interviewed) for Dar es Salaam was twice that of Mombassa, for instance, which has more transaction volumes than Dar es Salaam.

"But had the sample size been the same then the comparisons would have been more appropriate," Mr Walid Juma, deputy commissioner for customs and excise, told participants in a TRA stakeholders workshop in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Officials at the Dar es Salaam transit point were also the most notorious in demanding bribes followed by Holili, Horohoro and Mutukula, according to the survey.

Sixty-five per cent of respondents said they were asked for bribes in Dar es Salaam as opposed to only 10 per cent in Mombasa.

Explaining the sample size disparity, Steadman Group said in the report that it was difficult to achieve target samples in some points. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, some samples refused to respond to certain questions.

The study also showed that in Tanzania too many documents were required to clear goods, with too many officials involved in the approval of the documents. Clearance procedures were the most complicated in Tanzania compared to Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Sixty-eight per cent of CFAs said too many documents were required in goods clearance.

Yet, 65 per cent said too many officials were involved in the approval of documents, while 73 per cent said procedures were complicated in Tanzania, making the country earn the lowest marks in all the countries surveyed with exception of the DRC.

Surprised by reports on the level of document requirements, TRA director general Harry Kitillya said the report findings posed a challenge to his institution and other players concerned in the clearance of goods to do something to improve the situation.

"But I do not understand why Tanzania should require more documents in the clearance of goods while the East African region is governed by the single customs union (EAC-CU).
"We would need to undertake further research to establish if the documents problem is solely the problem of TRA or if other government departments also contribute to it," he said.

The survey also showed that Dar es Salaam was the slowest transit point in the region with the average clearance duration being 11 days followed by Mombasa and Akanyaru on the Rwanda/Burundi border with five days. But again, while 200 shipments were involved to determine the delay in Dar es Salaam, only 100 shipments were used for Mombassa.

Mr Juma said, however, that customs accounted for only one day of the reported clearance time of 11 days in Dar es Salaam.

Participants at the workshop blamed clearance delay on congestion at the container terminal at Dar es Salaam port and the customs agent, Tiscan.

"After completing all customs clearance procedures, it takes more than seven days to get goods out of the port after arrival.

Tiscan is also very cumbersome. This is killing our businesses," said Mr Mligo Godfrey, the secretary general of the Tanzania Freight Forwarders of Association.

Sumaria Group managing director Jayesh Shah said something should be done to simplify customs procedures as the delays increased the cost of doing business.

 

[Kitila Mkumbo]

This TRA guy seems to be very naive on research issues. You dont need to have the same sample size in all sites to be able to make comparisons. The comparison can effectively be achieved by weighing the samples, which is what steadman must have done. They need to learn things sio kupayuka na kubishana na scientific evidence.

 

[Kasheshe]

I like to see research report like these, as they do really help the involved institution/s to put necessary measure to improve the services!

 

[Koba]

I like to see research report like these, as they do really help the involved institution/s to put necessary measure to improve the services!

...sijui kama itawasaidia hao TRA,si unaona jamaa badala ya kuangalia matatizo ili wayamalize amebaki kubisha tuu,tena wangekuwa na akili wangeshukuru maana wamefanyiwa research ya bure hapo

 

[Idimi]

Ukweli huwa unauma sana.
Huyo anayeuliza 'credibility' ya hao watafiti huenda ana lake jambo. Kwa akina sisi ambao tunapata shida za kukabiliana na kadhia za TRA kila uchao tunaunga mkono utafiti huo wa hao jamaa wa Steadmann. Pale jukwaa la uchumi tumejadili sana suala hili, hasa uagizaji wa magari na mizigo kutoka nje ya nchi.
Na juzi tu, TRA makao makuu wamefanya msako katika ofisi yao wenyewe pale Samora, baada ya kupewa taarifa kuwa kuna uozo wa baadhi ya wafanyakazi wenzao kutoa hati bandia za usajili wa magari, sasa wanataka nini zaidi kama wao wenyewe hawaaminiani?

 

[Kalamu]

This TRA guy seems to be very naive on research issues. You dont need to have the same sample size in all sites to be able to make comparisons. The comparison can effectively be achieved by weighing the samples, which is what steadman must have done. They need to learn things sio kupayuka na kubishana na scientific evidence.

Ooooh, but you do Kitila! If Mombasa handles, let's say 1500 items per day' and Dar 500; then in your sampling, you pick 50 from Mombasa and 100 from Dar; there would not be an appropriate comparison of your results from such a study!

 

[Ogah]

Nakubaliana na Kitila....yes you don't need the same sample size..........any Statistician would agree with this.

Huyo Deputy Commissioner hajui anachozungumza..................inaelekea alifeli hesabu za statistics............

 

[Fundi Mchundo]

Lakini angalau TRA wame'react' na kuonyesha kuwa wako concerned na sio kuitolea nje report kwa jumla! Tusubiri kama italeta mabadiliko kwenye utendaji maana haya ni malalamiko ya muda mrefu. Ni vizuri kama wigo utapanuliwa kuwajumuisha wale wote wanaohusika na utoaji wa mizigo bandari maana hii inaathiri uwezo wetu wa kushindana katika soko la dunia.

 

[Semanao]

Hii TRA iliwahi kulalamikiwa kuwa MRAMBA aliiharibu mwenyewe baada ya undugunaizeni kuota mizizi. Nani hajui dubious deals za hilo kabila ambalo lililamikiwa kujaa TRA.

 

[BAK]

Wabunge walia na rushwa TRA

Imeandikwa na Shadrack Sagati;
Tarehe: 30th May 2009 @ 08:36 ​

Wafanyakazi wa Mamlaka ya Mapato Tanzania (TRA) wameshutumiwa na wabunge kuwa ni wala rushwa wakubwa, hali inayowafanya kuishi maisha ya kifahari zaidi ya kipato chao halali cha mshahara.

Wakichangia taarifa ya utendaji wa TRA iliyowasilishwa jana kwa Kamati ya Bunge ya Fedha na Uchumi, wabunge hao walisema urasimu uliopo wakati mteja anapofuatilia mzigo wake bandarini, unawapa jeuri wafanyakazi hao kutumia fursa hiyo kudai rushwa kwa walipa kodi.

Mbunge wa Sumve, Richard Ndasa (CCM), alisema utaratibu wa TRA wa nyaraka kupitia sehemu mbalimbali kuanzia Tiscan na baadaye kupelekwa idara nyingine kadhaa zinazoshughulikia ushuru wa forodha, ndio unahamasisha rushwa ndani ya TRA.

“Hapo ndipo unapoanzia ukosefu wa maadili, kwani katika nyaraka hizo kuna kitu wanaita ‘kwere’ (querries) na hapo sasa ofisa wa TRA anataka ukae naye mzungumze ili aweze kukupunguzia kodi. “Kwa nini kiwango cha kodi kipunguzwe kwa mazungumzo kati ya watu wawili, maana kama mtu kaagiza gari au mzigo, viwango vinajulikana, iweje maofisa hawa watumie ujanja wa kutaka mazungumzo?” alihoji Ndassa.

Mbunge huyo alishauri ili kupunguza haya wanayoita ‘kwere’ ni vyema Mamlaka ikaweka mabango yanayoonyesha viwango vya kodi anazopaswa mtu kulipa kutokana na mzigo alioagiza nje ya nchi. Alisema tatizo la rushwa limekuwa sugu ndani ya TRA na limewafanya wafanyakazi wengi wajipatie kipato haramu nje ya mishahara yao, hali inayowafanya waishi maisha ghali kuliko kiwango cha mshahara wanachopata.

Alihoji uongozi wa TRA kutoshughulikia tatizo hilo hadi wasubiri Rais Jakaya Kikwete aende kufanya ziara awaambie matatizo ya wala rushwa ndani ya Mamlaka hiyo. “Kama mnataka kukusanya kodi vizuri lazima wafanyakazi wenu wafuate maadili, waache masuala ya kuzungumza na mlipa kodi,” alisema Ndassa.

Mbunge wa Iringa Mjini, Monica Mbega (CCM), alisema rushwa imekithiri ndani ya TRA hasa kwa vitengo vinavyoshughulika na utoaji mizigo bandarini. “Nataka kujua, mnashirikiana na Bandari kumaliza tatizo hili maana kule bandarini kama unafuatilia mizigo ni pesa kila hatua unayokwenda,” alisema.

Mbunge wa Viti Maalumu, Devota Likokola (CCM), alisema kwa vile watumishi wengi TRA wanaonekana kukiuka maadili ya kazi zao, ni vyema Mamlaka hiyo ikaweka mikataba na mwajiri na anayevunja afutwe kazi. Mbunge wa Chumbuni, Mossy Suleimani Musa (CCM), alisema yeye hajasikia sifa mbaya kwa viongozi wa juu wa TRA ila sifa mbaya za kudai rushwa ziko kwa watumishi wa mamlaka hiyo wa ngazi za chini.

Alisema na hiyo inatokana na viongozi wa mamlaka hiyo kutokuwa na muda wa kupitia sifa za wafanyakazi wao, jambo ambalo linaitia aibu TRA kuwa ni sehemu inayoongozwa kwa rushwa. Kutokana na malalamiko ya wabunge hao, Mwenyekiti wa Bodi ya Wakurugenzi wa TRA, Marcelina Chijoriga, alisema hilo la baadhi ya watumishi kutokuwa na maadili wanalikubali, lakini akasema wameanzisha sheria na kanuni mpya za kazi kudhibiti hali hiyo .

“Naamini watumishi wetu wakifuata hizi kanuni mpya za kazi tulizoanzisha, tatizo hili litapungua,” alisema Chijoriga. Awali akitoa maelezo kwa kamati hiyo, Kamishna Mkuu wa TRA, Harry Kitilya, alisema mamlaka yake imekuwa inachukua hatua za kinidhamu kwa watumishi wanaobainika kukiuka misingi ya uadilifu.

Alitoa mfano kuwa kuanzia Julai 2003 hadi Desemba 2006 watumishi 64 waliachishwa kazi na Mamlaka kutokana na sababu mbalimbali za kukiuka kanuni za utumishi na maadili na wengine 53 kusimamishwa kazi. Alisema katika kipindi hicho, Mamlaka ilipeleka kesi tisa kwenye Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa (Takukuru) kwa uchunguzi zaidi na kutoa karipio kwa watumishi 16.

Alisema ili kuondokana na tatizo la rushwa, TRA imeweka mfumo wa wazi wa kupokea na kushughulikia malalamiko kutoka kwa walipa kodi na wadau wengine. Kitilya alisisitiza kuwa TRA imeunda kamati za maadili katika sehemu za kazi ili kuratibu na kufuatilia kwa karibu masuala ya maadili ya watumishi na viongozi.

Alisema tangu kuanzishwa kwa kamati hizo zimekuwa zinashughulikia masuala ya maadili ya wafanyakazi huku sehemu kubwa ya tuhuma hizo zikielekezwa kwa watumishi ambao walituhumiwa kushirikiana na baadhi ya wafanyabiashara katika ukwepaji kodi. Aliongeza kuwa tuhuma nyingi ni za watumishi kumiliki mali nyingi kuliko kipato halali cha mtumishi husika.

Kamishna huyo alisema Mamlaka kwa sasa imeweka utaratibu wa watumishi kutaja mali wanazomiliki, ikiwa ni pamoja na kutaja zinazomilikiwa na mke au mume na watoto wa watumishi. Akielezea changamoto zinazowakabili, Kitilya alitaja udhibiti wa misamaha ya kodi ambayo alidai inapunguza wigo wa kodi.

Misamaha hiyo inatolewa kwa mashirika ya dini, miradi ya wafadhili na iliyo chini ya Kituo cha Uwekezaji. Kamishna huyo alisema kwa mwaka wa fedha wa 2008/09 Mamlaka imepangiwa kukusanya Sh bilioni 4,497.1 na hadi Aprili Sh bilioni 3,360.1 zimekusanywa sawa na asilimia 75 ya lengo. Kwa upande wa Zanzibar lengo ni kukusanya Sh bilioni 49.2 na hadi Aprili makusanyo yalifikia Sh bilioni 44.5 sawa na asilimia 90.

 

[Invisible]

...sijui kama itawasaidia hao TRA,si unaona jamaa badala ya kuangalia matatizo ili wayamalize amebaki kubisha tuu,tena wangekuwa na akili wangeshukuru maana wamefanyiwa research ya bure hapo

Nadhani haijasaidia chochote, soon tutasikia jipya tu!

 

[FairPlayer]

TRA 'most corrupt in EA' ​

By Damas Kanyabwoya
THE CITIZEN

Tanzania is the least efficient and most corrupt in goods clearance in the region, a recent survey indicates.

About 73 per cent of clearing and forwarding agents interviewed in Dar es Salaam and at transit points in northern Tanzania said there was rampant corruption compared to 53 per cent in Kenya, 52 per cent in Burundi, 51 per cent in Uganda and 9 per cent in Rwanda.

Afadhali ya Kagame.... halafu akitaka kuwatawala mnakataaaa

 

[Bongolander]

Mkuu inawezekana kuwa ni most corrupt kati ya Revenue Authories za EA, lakini hapa nyumbani hatutakiwi kuambiwa kama tunaongoza au vipi. Tunajua wenyewe kuwa tumejaa ufisadi. Sio TRA hata ukiangalia executive, judiciary na hata Parliamnet yenyewe to certain extent.

 

[Hofstede]

Ooooh, but you do Kitila! If Mombasa handles, let's say 1500 items per day' and Dar 500; then in your sampling, you pick 50 from Mombasa and 100 from Dar; there would not be an appropriate comparison of your results from such a study!

Nafikiri mkuu hapa utakuwa hujaelewa ni nini hasa kilichofanywa katika research. Kilichofanywa hapa ni kuwahoji clearing and forwarding agents. Sasa kama handling ni 10 au 1000 per day haijalishi kwani waliohojiwa ni agents na si wenye mizigo. Kumbuka hawa ndiyo wacheza deal wakuu na maofisa wa TRA ili mzigo wako utoke haraka.


Tatizo la TRA lipo kwenye sheria, sheria zetu ndizo chanzo kikuu cha rushwa. Kama sheria inambana mwenye mzigo tu haimbani TRA unatarajia nini hapo?, Rushwa lazima ichukue mkondo. Mfano unapompa mtu wa TRA mamlaka ya kuwa na uamuzi wa mwisho wa ku estimate kodi, ina maana kuna alternatives tatu ambazo hii ya tatu haitumiki sana. Ya kwanza ni kwa wao kuover estimate tax liability ili kukukomoa kwa kuwa hujampa chochote. Ya pili ni ku under estimate tax liability ili kukupunguzia mzigo kwa kuwa umempa chochote. Na ya tatu ni ku- estimate a fair tax liability regardless ni high or low, hii hawaitumii kabisa kwani haina maslahi kwao.

Iwekwe sheria kuwa mzigo ukiingia TRA wawe wamekadiria tax within two days na kumkabidhi mwenye mzigo alipie ndani ya siku saba. Ikiwa TRA watashindwa kukadiria tax basi storage zote zitalipiwa na TRA mpaka pale watakapomkabidhi mwenye mzigo estimate na kumpa siku saba alipie. Hii itawafanya wafanyakazi wa TRA wawajibike hasa na uzembe wowote ni harasa kwao na kosa la uzembe ni kufukuzwa kazi au kulipia gharama wewe mwenye from your salary.

Kuhusu estimates, kila kitu kiwe kwenye computer tu yaani unafeed information zote muhimu inakupatia tax estimates badala ya watu kuzuunguka na mafaili. Kuna wateja huwa wana forge bei na huenda hii ikawa ni sababu ya kuestimate manually but huu wote ni uvivu wa TRA tu, kunatakiwa kuwa na kitengo maalum cha international business and ushirikiano na nchi nyingine ili kuwa na bei sahihi. leo hii unaweza ingiza kitu bongo ambacho wafanyakazi wa TRA toka wazaliwe hawajakiona wala kukisikia hapo sasa ndiyo utasikia kusearch google etc.

TRA ni lazima wajue kuwa mapato wanayokusanya ni wizi mtupu na hakuna haki yame-base kwenye watu wenye uwezo finyu wanaotoa macho kila dakika kuona leo ntarudi na laki ngapi nyumbani.
tatizo ni sheria!.

 

[KipimaPembe]

Correct Assesment hofstede,

Lakini niongezee kuwa tatizo la Tanzania si sheria tuu. Ni uwezo wa kuzisimamia hata zile zilizopo!! Kwa mfano ikiwa TRA wana wasi wasi na price iliyokuwa declared kwenye documents, mwenye mzigo wa kuthibitisha uwongo wa document zile ni TRA. Lakini kwa sababu tu ya maguvu yao na kutojali, they simply come with any tax estimate inakuja vichwani mwao (if you didn't see them in advance). Hata kama una evidence za bei ya mzigo kutoka kwa uliye nunua kwake bado wanaweza kukataa, si kwa sababu sheria inasema hivyo, bali kwa sababu wanajua huna option nyingine.

Ukikata rufaa kwenye tribunal yao, mzigo wako unachelewa, hata kama wao ndo walikuwa wamekosea bado utatakiwa kulipa gharama za kuchelewa kwa mzigo, mpaka uanzishe proceess nyingine tena ya kudai waiver.

Unakuwa kwenye disadvantaged position every time you deal with TRA hasa kwenye mambo ya mizigo. It is all out of control you may ask yourself if at all there is anybody who cares what happen pale bandarini. Ndo maana volume ya biashara hapo inaendelea kupungua na congestion ya mizigo inazidi.

Yaani kinachotokea pale bandarini ni miujiza. Unaweza kusema kweli if this is how Tanzanians work then we must be poor for ever. Experience ya kutoa bidhaa bandarini inatia kinyaa, even if you do it once!!

 

[KipimaPembe]

Hata hivyo wateja ndo tunasema hivyo. TRA wenyewe watakwambia hakuna problem yoyote! Na ukweli kuna watu wanaulizana "hivi we jana ulirudi na laki ngapi?" Hata rais alikiri anawajua, lakini oooh satan, what did he do to them??

 

[Kandambilimbili]

KM i beg to differ with you kama ni matter of comparison uniformity kwenye SAMPLE SIZE na METHODOLOGY ina umuhimu wake, TRA guy yuko sawa 100%


Kuna mahali nilisoma research results fulani hapa JF zikisema URA is the most currupt in the region sasa sijui which is which......

TRA 'most corrupt in EA' ​

By Damas Kanyabwoya
THE CITIZEN


But the survey carried out by the Steadman Group has raised eyebrows in some quarters, with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) questioning the methodology employed in the study.

A senior TRA official, however, said although the study findings cannot be entirely dismissed as irrelevant, he was concerned that the methodology used to arrive at the conclusions in the report was not uniform.

As a result, he said, it presented unequal footing for comparisons between transit points in different countries.

This TRA guy seems to be very naive on research issues. You dont need to have the same sample size in all sites to be able to make comparisons. The comparison can effectively be achieved by weighing the samples, which is what steadman must have done. They need to learn things sio kupayuka na kubishana na scientific evidence.

 

[rmashauri]

...sijui kama itawasaidia hao TRA,si unaona jamaa badala ya kuangalia matatizo ili wayamalize amebaki kubisha tuu,tena wangekuwa na akili wangeshukuru maana wamefanyiwa research ya bure hapo

Koba,
Tatizo la viongozi wetu ni hilo la kuanza kujihami badala ya kutafuta ufumbuzi wa tatizo. Kwa haraka unachoweza kukigundua hapa ni kuwa jamaa kaguswa. Rushwa TRA inaanzia kwa wakubwa inashuka mpaka kwa wadogowadogo na mara nyingine wakubwa wanawatumia hawa waliochini yao kuchukua rushwa na kisha wanagawana. Kwahiyo huyu jamaa huenda naye kaguswa hivyo inabidi aanze tu kujihami. Ni jambo lililo wazi kwa kila mtu anayekutana na watu wa TRA mara kwa mara kuwa TRA rushwa iko nje nje. Wewe fikiria "Road licence" ya gari lako imeisha muda unaenda ku-renew jamaa anayehusika anataka rushwa, can you imagine! Yaani TRA pamekithiri kwa rushwa wala asijitetee bali atafute ufumbuzi.

 

[Tangawizi]

Jamani kwani ni uongo TRA ni wala rushwa wakubwa? Unaingiza mzigo wa thamani halali kwenye invoice by the company that operate with standards that never leave a room for tax evasion. Well, ukimkuta huyu bwana mkubwa pale boarder anakwambia nimeamua ku uplift invoice yako maana haifanani na ya juzi bila kutoa kigezo. Ukimwambia twende pembeni, anakwambia nipe hapo hela kidogo mangi biashara iishe. Kweli hawa jamaa wengi ni wala rushwa wakubwa na hawafai

 

[Marlenevdc]

The research proves what we all know for years! TRA is a MAJOR stumbling block to smooth flow of commodities to and from Tanzania. Consequently, lack of efficiency, increased costs, less taxes to government and general marasm to our economy as a whole. The tricky part, EVERYBODY in TRA knows this, the GOVERNMENT knows this and we all seem to be satisfied with the way things are. Yet, you keep hearing in the BUNGE, that TRA exceed their targets every year. Private and Public