Question NW158 to the Minister of Finance

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13 March 2019 - NW158

Profile picture: Madisha, Mr WM

Madisha, Mr WM to ask the Minister of Finance

(a) What steps have been taken to give effect to the recommendations of the Nugent Commission of Inquiry into Taxation and Governance by SARS and (b) what is the current status of the specified steps?

Reply:

a) While SARS has taken some strides towards implementing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and is in engagement concerning others, there are certain recommendations that require Presidential approval and collaboration with National Treasury. However, from the time that the erstwhile Commissioner was suspended and the Acting Commissioner was appointed, SARS sought to repair and improve the administration of tax. The proceedings of the Nugent Commission of Inquiry ran concurrently with these endeavours taken by the Acting Commissioner and some of the recommendations made by the Commission of Inquiry echo some of the initiatives started by the Acting Commissioner.  This includes re-establishing a healthy reporting relationship between the Minister of Finance and SARS and the formation of the Illicit Economy Unit, the Unit focusing on Large Business, and more recently, a Unit to assess and analyze taxpayer compliance levels.

b) The function to plan, facilitate and monitor implementation of the Commission’s recommendations will be assigned to a small unit that continues with this work, and which will report their progress to the permanent Commissioner.

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