WALVIS BAY – A Corrupt ion Ri sk Assessment (CRA) report has highlighted tax officials receiving or soliciting bribes, misuse of company equipment such as vehicles, and stealing of NamRA resources for personal gain as some of the risks that exist at the NamRA Domestic Taxes, Western region.
The report was compiled by the Anti-Corruption Commission, and it is an exercise that identifies areas that are vulnerable to corruption in institutions, while at the same time also establishing a CRA mitigation plan as a preventative measure that will curb corruption and improve service delivery to taxpayers overall.
The documents were handed over to Western region employees on Wednesday afternoon.
NamRA regional manager for the central region Vivian de Koe at the handover of the CRA report said the report provides valuable insights into potential vulnerabilities and corruption risks within their organisation.
According to him, the document serves as a roadmap to implement effective mechanisms and strengthen their integrity.
“Integrity and honesty are paramount. As employees of NamRA, it is our responsibility to uphold these principles, protect taxpayer interests, and contribute to our nation’s development. Hence, let us reflect on its findings and recommendations. It is a call to action, urging us to reinforce ethical practices, transparency and accountability,” he appealed.
NamRA Integrity Awareness and Investigation specialist Haviety Chizabulyo said NamRA’s mandate is to maximise the collection of taxes and revenue and, therefore, the domestic taxes department is at the core implementation of such mandate.
“The report we received focused mostly on domestic taxes and areas that need strict control measures in terms of supervision and monitoring.
Bribery is one of the commonly identified risks in the report. We want to assure you that the internal affairs department will work closely with the integrity committee at the regional level to enforce the implementation of this mitigation plan to ensure that corruption has no place in this agency,” she said.
ACC executive director Tylvas Shilongo indicated that the CRA programme is vital for institutions and their employees, as it minimises the detrimental effects of corruption while at the same time improving service delivery to Namibians.
“This programme covers many corruption preventative measures, and it is well suited for our country. Some of these measures, among others, are reducing opportunities for corruption in both public and private enterprises,” he said.
– edeklerk@nepc.com.na