The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) has redoubled its antigraft fight, boasting to be among the leading agencies walking the anti-corruption talk, as evidenced by arrests, suspensions and court battles.
These were among the highlights deduced from NamRA commissioner Sam Shivute’s speech, while addressing employees of the tax collecting agency.
He told his staff to “watch out for smiling faces”, referring to unscrupulous individuals seeking to bribe their way around their tax obligations.
Shivute was speaking in the capital at the launch of the tax agency’s ethics and integrity programme. The project is aimed at ensuring staff perform their duties with due diligence while also enforcing zero tolerance to corruption.
Shivute, a former police officer, told the agency’s officials to be cautious when approached by those who grin, particularly at border crossings.
He said smiling is sometimes a tactic intended to prevent officials from performing their duties with objectivity.
“This programme came at the right time and is very important given the very tempting environment we operate in because there are always those who want to corrupt you,” the commissioner said.
Namibia became a signatory in 2003 to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which was ratified by Parliament in 2004.
The main goals of UNCAC are to standardise national and international reactions and interventions, both institutional and legislative, and to promote and direct transnational collaboration and coordination to harmonise global anti-corruption activities. It also includes requirements that ratifying states must fulfil to abide by the terms of the UNCAC.
Shivute added that during the current financial year, NamRA recorded three cases wherein people tried to bribe its employees. These culprits have since been exposed and arrested.
“We will continue to strive for zero tolerance of corruption because we deal with billions. Let us get rid of the temptation to be bribed. We will do our work with no fear or favour. For us to collect these record billions for Namibia is because we are currently holding on to integrity. There will be one or two bad apples, but integrity should not be compromised. Prevention is better than cure,” he urged.
NamRA has been filling state coffers with billions of dollars since inception as it routinely exceeds its collection targets.
This fiscal year, 2023–2024, is no different, as NamRA has already collected almost N$37 billion as of September 30.
This was equivalent to little more than 55% of the N$68 billion total revenue goal for the current fiscal year. Government now has more space to allocate funds to the most urgent national needs thanks to the noticeable improvement in revenue collection.
Meanwhile, in a bid to provide some tax relief to low-income earners, government will be increasing the threshold for Income Tax on Individuals from the current N$50 000 to N$100 000. Also, the non-mining company tax rate will be reduced by two percentage points over the next two years to 31%, effective in April 2024 and a further reduction to 30% in April 2025.
In addition, the finance ministry has announced some adjustments on personal income tax tables and is expected to introduce an Internship Tax Incentive Programme aimed at incentivising employers to enrol more interns by providing an additional corporate tax deduction. The total financial implication of these measures for government is estimated at N$126 million.