A message from President Cyril Ramaphosa
Improved tax revenue
key institutions, SARS had suffered from the ill-effects of state capture, with political meddling, mismanagement and other factors seriously affecting
supports recovery and growth
its efficiency. This had the direct consequence of not only undermining taxpayer morality, but also loss of business confidence in the organisation. In 2018, I appointed a commission of inquiry into tax administration and governance at SARS chaired by retired Justice Robert Nugent. The commission delivered its final report by the end of the same year.
R
Four years later, SARS ecently, the South
lished 25 years ago.
has implemented nearly all
new roads, and support
of the 16 recommendations
collection agency is at the
society’s most vulnerable
and 27 sub-recommenda-
nounced in its preliminary
heart of building a capable
through social grants and
tions to restore stability to
tax revenue collection out-
state.
other measures.
the organisation.
African Revenue Service (SARS) an-
A competent tax revenue
tals, upgrade and build
SARS has driven a fo-
Tax revenue propels our
When tax revenue col-
over R1.5 trillion between
nation’s development. The
lection systems and their
cused turnaround strategy
April 2021 and March 2022.
money collected by SARS
supporting legislation are
to position itself at the
finances service delivery
efficient, uncomplicated
forefront of efficiency and
and infrastructure.
and equitable, it incentiv-
service excellence. It has a
ises greater compliance.
concerted programme to
Restoring stability and
promote tax morality and
come that it had collected
This a 25% improvement over the previous year and a 15% increase over
Through the R17.8 trillion
the last year prior to the
that SARS has collected
COVID-19 pandemic.
since its establishment
credibility in SARS was
compliance.
in 1997, we have been
among my foremost pri-
SARS also paid out its
able to build more social
orities when I was elected
modity prices, resulting
highest amount in tax
infrastructure like clin-
President in 2018.
in increased corporate
refunds since it was estab-
ics, schools and hospi-
Over the same period,
16
Like a number of other
Current high com-
income tax revenues, have
Public Sector Manager • April 2022
Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash
FROM THE UNION BUILDINGS
