Arusha — Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General, Mr Yusuph Mwenda, has said that the authority will continue to effectively address tax evasion by controlling loopholes used to evade taxes.
Closing a meeting to assess TRA's performance for the first half of the 2025/2026 financial year in Arusha, Mr Mwenda said the authority would not tolerate any acts of tax evasion.
He said among the steps to be taken include strengthening border controls, preventing smuggling and continuing to provide tax education to the community in line with anti-smuggling education.
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Mr Mwenda said plans are also in place to increase the tax base by registering new taxpayers, including businesspeople who have not yet entered the tax payment system. He said TRA will continue to carry out its duties with integrity by listening to taxpayers, facilitating their businesses and resolving challenges they face.
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Mr Mwenda also urged TRA staff to continue working professionally and diligently in order to achieve positive results in government revenue collection for the second half of the 2025/26 financial year.
He said the task of collecting taxes is the responsibility of all employees and not just tax officers, calling on every TRA staff member to use creativity, professionalism and adherence to ethics to achieve the authority's target of collecting 36.066tri/- in the 2025/26 financial year.
Speaking on collection strategies for the second half of the 2025/26 fiscal year, he said authority will continue using digital systems in tax collection, citing the IDRAS system, which will officially begin on February 9, this year. He also thanked the government and President Samia Suluhu Hassan for employing new staff, while calling on leaders to supervise them to ensure productivity.
TRA Deputy Commissioner General, Mr Mcha Hassan Mcha, urged staff to continue improving services to taxpayers, expanding the tax base and combating various forms of tax evasion. He commended TRA staff for exceeding targets for 18 consecutive months, setting a new collection record of 4.13tri/-, the highest amount ever achieved.
For his part, TRA Moshi Director of Human Resources and Administration, Mr Jonathan Kabengwe, congratulated delegates who participated in the meeting and urged them to implement agreed resolutions to sustain strong performance.
He also congratulated TRA employees expected to retire in 2026, saying they have left a lasting mark through their service. The five-day meeting to assess TRA's performance for the first half of the 2025/26 financial year involved 477 participants from TRA offices across the country.
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