'Better
collection programme' reaches R165bn
target
CUSTOMS OFFICIALS were among 11 000 employees of the South African Revenue Services (SARS) nationwide who received a hefty 39% bonus last week after SARS reached its target of R165 billion in recollection of outstanding taxes.
It is the second phase of an arrangement made last year, which is to stretch over three years, in determining the new salary structures for the revenue services as a whole, says Christo Henning, SARS media liaison officer.
With the agreement of the Minister of Finance, SARS promoted its 'better collection' programme by collecting billions of outstanding taxes in various sectors of the economy, with the incentive bonus scheme introduced to activate personnel.
The amount recovered through the customs and excise sector is relatively small in the overall figure, says Henning. The main portion of the recollection came from the Receiver's department, where outstanding company and individual taxes provided the greatest component.
The incentive scheme works on the basis of 30% of the gross salary as bonus when the target is reached, with a further one percent for every additional R250 million recovered.
Complaints received by FTW claimed that the final amount involved would have been better utilised in other areas, such as the fight against crime and the educational and health service problems in the country.
Freight handlers aimed their ire at what they termed inefficient customs dealings at many points, where individuals did not deserve compensation of this nature.
Henning has answered this by stating that not everyone in the SARS employment was a recipient of the award.
Temporary workers were not included, and those full time members who were found to be underperformers certainly did not receive any remuneration, he said.
Claims that some senior officials received in excess of
R50 000 as their bonus could not be confirmed, with SARS declining to reveal individual figures, other than to agree that 'everyone, from the tea provider to the top were rewarded according to salary and satisfactory service.'
By Leonard Neill
