Nchemba Cracks Down On Corrupt TRA Official

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba, has instructed the new Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Yusuph Juma Mwenda, to take strict legal and disciplinary actions, including termination, against some TRA employees who violate their professional ethics, such as demanding and accepting bribes. Such actions tarnish TRA’s reputation and deprive the government of revenue.

Dr. Nchemba made these remarks while concluding the Performance Evaluation Meeting of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, held at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).

Also Read:Tanzania Parliament Approves 2024/2025 Budget

Additionally, Dr. Nchemba instructed the Commissioner to take stern measures against traders who fail to submit Value Added Tax (VAT) returns, as these funds are supposed to be submitted to the government through TRA. Traders are government agents for collecting this tax and should not treat it as part of their revenue.

Furthermore, Dr. Nchemba urged TRA employees to increase their creativity, expertise, and ensure fairness when collecting government revenue to meet the expectations of Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, in bringing tangible development to Tanzanians.

Dr. Nchemba also took the opportunity to commend TRA for their excellent performance in the past fiscal year of 2023/24, where they collected TZS 27.64 trillion, achieving 97.67% of the target of TZS 28.30 trillion. This represents a 14.50% increase compared to the TZS 24.14 trillion collected in the previous fiscal year, 2022/23.

At the event, Dr. Nchemba was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Hamad Hassan Chande, Assistant Commissioner of the Policy Department at the Ministry of Finance, William Mhoja, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Finance.