By More Matshediso
Pretoria - Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene says finding a replacement for the former Commissioner of the South African Revenue Services (SARS) was slightly delayed as the Presidency had to find the right person for the job, and SARS was not in any crisis during the processes.
“It is not a job that would be easy to fill… it was a right choice, at the right time,” said the Minister.
The Minister was speaking on Thursday when he introduced the new SARS Commissioner Thomas Moyane in Pretoria.
He said he is comfortable with the appointment of Moyane and he thinks the President made a right choice.
“We had a solid institution that was functional which did not call for rushed decisions,” said Nene.
“Mr Moyane brings in a lot of experience - both in the public sector and private sector, his academic qualifications also put him in good stead," he added.
He said questioning Moyane’s fiscal experience was irrelevant and that he had not known it to be the sole criteria for appointment to the position.
“We previously had a commissioner in South Africa, even similar experiences in other countries, where people have been appointed for other expertise and strengths, either than having strength on tax policy division,” said Minister Nene.
Moyane, who is also the former National Commissioner at the Department of Correctional Services, said he is bringing leadership, stability and a different approach on how things have been done in SARS.
“… But certainly, I will be working together with the team that has been in SARS in creating a new environment in terms of the mandate that SARS has,” Moyane said.
Moyane will set his foot in new office on Saturday but will officially resume duty on Monday.
He said, together with the SARS team, he will look into programmes and policies to see what needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
“… Once that is done, I will be able to apply my mind on those issues. Once I have met with the executive committee and everyone in management, we will be able to develop a road map towards implementation of the policies, in conjunction with the ministry [of finance],” said Moyane.
He said it is important to pull together as a team, as SARS proved to be one of the stable organisations in the country and globally, and he was trusted with the job to sustain the trust that South Africans have on the organisation.
The commissioner said as law abiding citizens, “it is our duty to pay tax, and without tax the state cannot function. All South Africans must pay tax, so that we can be able to build schools, hospitals, we can provide services which are sufficient to all South Africans.”
“Tax compliance is a necessity across the whole spectrum. I would like to encourage all South Africans to pay their taxes. With respect to organisations and companies, I am yet to sit with the team and identify the tax dodgers, and say what is it that we need to do to close the loopholes that exist in the process,” said Moyane.
He added that once that has been done, he will have a strategy and a roadmap to address the shortfalls that exist.
“We need to collect as much revenue as possible. It is to our advantage to have revenue. If we don’t have revenue that is able to run the state machinery, then we become a state that is unable to serve the interests of its people,” Moyane said.
SARS had set a target to collect R994 billion this year, and next month the organisation will table its medium term budget.
The commissioner position has been vacant for 14 months, since the former commissioner stepped out.
The outgoing and acting commissioner of SARS, Ivan Pillay, said the organisation still managed to meet its targets in the previous year, during a period of uncertainty.
“I would also like to thank the organisation’s 15 000 staff members, who made it possible for us to come to this point and the top management in continuing to make this organisation one of the greatest in the country,” said Pillay.
Pillay also pledged to support the new commissioner on his new appointment. - SAnews.gov.za
