Recently the Minister of Revenue made a bold decision to recall an aircraft that left the country’s airspace and pass through a security check again as it was believed to have carried illegally owned money by passengers on board.
The decision has saved the country’s resources from embezzlement and also set example for the necessary actions that should be taken in order to bring about real change in the country’s public sector, according to Meskerem Girma, Lecturer at Hawassa.
The government of Ethiopia has launched a process of transformation in all public sector to improve governance, justice and democratic system in the country. The public sector offices are also working strenuously towards realizing the ongoing process of transformation.
When some scholars and politicians argue that it is too early to judge the performance of the offices, others see some encouraging attempts in bringing about the desired outcome of change.
Ministry of Revenue is one of the public sector offices which is reestablished at Ministerial levels. The Ministry is one of the
sectors where a lot of change and improvement is expected in its service or performance due to the large scale malpractices that incurred loss in the country’s economy as well as caused grievances in the public.
Mekonen Demissie, Domestic Tax Department Expert at the ministry told The Ethiopian Herald that the ministry has undergone different steps to put the reform on the ground. He remarked that the ministry has structured new skeleton by employing more than 7,000 well experienced experts. Beside this, more than 10 new system guidelines were prepared which will help for applying the reform including modern taxation.
Meskerem added seizing illegals who are participating in any of crimes related with customs, money laundering, arms trafficking, tax fraud and improving the taxation system with reconsideration are some of the fruitful tasks taken by the ministry she added.
Moreover, Teshale also remarked that the Ministry of Revenue has brought notable change to the country by taking the reform to the ground. What is being implemented on tax collection system and arresting illegals who are participating in illegal money and weapons transfer are among the remarkable activities taken by the Ministry, he added. After all, Teshome also suggested that the community should stand with the reform.
Dr. Tilahun Teshome, Professor of law at AAU and Chairperson of the Legal and Justice Affairs Advisory Council at the Office of Attorney General on his side suggested that the ministry of Revenues has carried out successful activities despite there is still some deficits.
According to him, the ministers’ visit at different cities of the country like, Jig Jiga, Hawassa, Adama and Addis Ababa to appreciate the employees, collecting 60% tax, announcing and publicizing red handed illegal activities on dollars, expensive minerals like gold are among the tasks that have to be appreciated.
Meanwhile, the community is also taking its part in pointing out illegals in collaboration with the ministry because of the fact that it is observing some changes with the ministry he added.
And also the Ministry of Revenues should modernize its taxation system in order increase investment.
On the other hand Mekonen contended that the ministry is responsible to avoid fraud at all level and making suitable situations for developing investment. Thus modernizing taxation for eradicating the lengthy process on the investment must be the prior task for the ministry to the future. Here with changing the manual tax system to electronics is one of the basic strategy. On the whole the government, the politicians, scholars and all the stake holders must participate in achieving the reform.
The Ethiopian Herald February 23/2011
BY HIZKIEL HAILU
