MPs ‘should help pick SARS boss’

The National Assembly should have a role in appointing the commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to ensure greater accountability and transparency, the Davis tax committee has recommended.

Alternatively, the minister of finance should be responsible for making the appointment.

At present, the president has “unfettered” power to appoint and dismiss the commissioner, which the committee said placed the commissioner on an equal footing with the minister of finance.

Under the current dispensation, the commissioner is beholden to the president and is not legally accountable to the minister who has the constitutional responsibility to prepare and present the budget.

The ramifications of this system played out over the past few years with commissioner Tom Moyane and former minister Pravin Gordhan.

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has decided, with the approval of President Jacob Zuma, to establish a commission of inquiry into the administration, governance and underperformance of SARS, which is expected to fall short of revenue targets by R50bn in 2017.

In its report on tax administration, the committee interrogated the governance structure of SARS to enhance good governance and the independence of the tax authority.

Finance committee chairman Yunus Carrim said the committee had not yet seen the Davis tax committee report, but the proposal that Parliament should have a say in the appointment of the SARS commissioner should be considered.

DA MP Alf Lees welcomed the recommendations, saying the opposition party would also support the re-establishment of the advisory board.

The committee said the board should be constituted by the minister of finance.