DAIRIBOARD Holdings chief executive officer Anthony Mandiwanza, pictured, has been appointed chairman of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) board, on an initial three year contract, the government announced yesterday.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube also announced Bongani Khumalo, Johnsai Tandi Dewah and Paradza Paradza as additional appointments to the Zimra board.
He said the appointments were made after consultation with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The appointments were also in accordance with provisions of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Act.
“The appointments are for an initial period of three years and are with effect from 30 March 2022,” he said.
The authority had operated for sometime without a substantive chairman after the previous incumbent Callisto Jokonya was arrested and taken to court over alleged improprieties in 2019.
Jokonya was accused of abuse of duty as a public officer after he allegedly renewed an employee’s contract without following due processes.
Mandiwanza’s appointment comes as Zimra is in the second year of implementing its 2021-2025 strategic plan, which seeks to maximise tax collection and compliance, while also improving the country’s ease of doing business, among other deliverables.
Zimra, which recorded $161 billion in gross revenue collections in the fourth quarter of 2021, a figure 48.9 percent above target, contends that there is scope to collect more revenue, especially from the country’s huge small to medium enterprises sector.
Addressing a media interface on Wednesday, Zimra director strategy, research and innovation Joey Shumbamhini said while the authority was implementing various transformational projects, twelve, which are part of the five-year strategic plan, had been classified as strategic and were anchored on digitalisation.
“Zimra’s strategy is anchored on digitalisation where there will be systems automation, internal systems integration, and external systems integration. We want to transition from manual to automated processes, avoid manual as much as possible because we also believe that automation of processes will reduce corruption,” he said.
“These are game-changing projects, which we believe will change the future of Zimra and also change the future of taxpayers.” – New Ziana