He had also suspended twelve senior officials for poor performance and failure to take actions on the loss of 329 containers at the Dar es Salaam Port.
The President also annulled the recent appointments of TPA Board Chairman, Prof Joseph Msambichaka and TPA Director General, Awadhi Massawe.
The move came after Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa carried out impromptu visits at the Dar es Salaam Port, where he made directives on the 329 containers missing without paying tax.
The Prime minister disclosed this in Dar es Salaam yesterday when briefing journalists on what had transpired in his last week visit at the port.
“According to the internal auditing report of July 30, this year, it had showed loopholes of tax evasion including released of 2,387 containers between March and September 2014,” he said, adding: “The said containers were illegally released, such acts gave a picture that the port released many containers without being taxed and there were no steps being taken. According to the Premier, the loss was in line with the billing system, which gives loopholes of losing the government’s revenues.
“The port is an important area whereby if well-managed we’ll collect millions money and contribute to the country’s GDP,” the Premier said, stressing: “The government won’t tolerate to see few individuals or a group of people continue sabotaging systems or stealing from the government for interest of the few.”
Majaliwa also directed the billing system to be transformed and replaced by the newly introduced e-payment system, which should be completed by December 11, this year.
The report implicated some of the TPA senior officials in releasing the containers and there was no action taken. The PM announced the suspension of all those who were involved in the scam.
Those who were suspended include supervisors of Inland Container Depots (ICD) Happygod Naftari, Juma Zaar, Steven Naftari Mtui, Titi Ligalwike, Lydia Prosper Kimaro, Mkango Alli, John Elisante and James Kimwomwa who was transfered to Mwanza.
Others are leaders of the sectors who were allegedly to had been involved in allowing the controversial containers to move from the port. Their names didn’t appear in the report but they were allegedly to be the suspects.
They include Shabani Mngazija (former Revenue Manager who was transferred to the headquarters in the finance department), Rajab Mdoe (former Finance Director and head of ICD who was transferred to the headquarters, where he was the deputy Director, Cooperate Services).
Others are Ibin Masoud, acting Director of Finance and Apolonia Mosha, Assistant Port Manager (Finance).
Majaliwa further said that President John Magufuli dissolved the TPA Board of Directors and annulled recent appointment of Chairman of the Board Prof Joseph Msambichaka and TPA Director General Awadhi Massawe.
He was speaking on his an impromptu visit to Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL), where he discovered the misuse of 13bn/- and investigation was yet to be completed.
Following the revelations, President Magufuli also annulled the appointment of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Dr Shaban Mwinjaka, who will be assigned another task.
Last week, President Magufuli suspended eight high-profile officials of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) for the mysterious disappearance of the 329 containers.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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