President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended Tom Moyane as South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner with immediate effect.
Business Day reported on Monday that the embattled SARS boss Tom Moyane had been asked to resign by President Cyril Ramaphosa, but refused.
A statement released by the Presidency on Monday night said that Ramaphosa told Moyane in a letter: “Developments at the SARS under your leadership have resulted in deterioration in public confidence in the institution and in public finances being compromised. For the sake of the country and the economy, this situation cannot be allowed to continue, or to worsen.”
President Ramaphosa indicated that as SARS Commissioner, Tom Moyane holds a high position of trust in the management of the country’s public finances, and necessary to act “urgently and immediately”.
Moyane was linked to approving questionable VAT refunds worth as much as R70 million paid to the Guptas’ Oakbay Investments, allegedly via a third-party company, which is illegal. He also shielded his second in charge, Jonas Makwakwa, from allegations that Makwakwa had received money from a company that was appointed as a debt collector for SARS. Makwakwa resigned last week.
Moyane also fell short of his revenue collection target by nearly R50 billion.
Meanwhile, on Monday night Treasury announced Mark Kingon as acting commissioner for SARS.
Kingon has been serving as acting chief officer of business and individual taxes at the revenue service.