Kingon ‘has been good’, but Sars top job advertised this weekend

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni yesterday extended Mark Kingon’s term as acting SA Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner by a further 90 days or until such date as a new commissioner is appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

And the appointment needed to happen soon, said financial analyst Chris Gilmour.

“The last decent commissioner of Sars was Pravin Gordhan,” said Gilmour. “Since then, Oupa Magashule left under a cloud and there is little more which needs to be said about Tom Moyane.”

Kingon has been acting in the post since Ramaphosa suspended and subsequently sacked Moyane, who this week lost a court bid to get his job back. Moyane has subsequently said he would again approach the Constitutional Court.

Gordhan served as commissioner from 1999 to 2009, which meant Sars had been without a properly functioning commissioner since then, Gilmour noted.

“Kingon has been good. I think he has a good reputation, he is immersed in the business and he’s done a good job.”

Section 7 of the Sars Act empowers the finance minister to appoint an acting commissioner, but a permanent appointment is done by the state president.

The department of finance said yesterday: “The minister of finance will assist the president in immediately commencing the process to appoint a new commissioner of Sars.

“An advert for the position will be published this weekend. The minister will subsequently submit a shortlist, and the names for members of an interview panel, for the president’s approval.”

Mboweni’s office indicated the interviews were “envisaged” to be held in private and afterwards the interview panel would recommend a candidate or candidates to Ramaphosa.

Gilmour questioned why it was taking so long to appoint a permanent commissioner.

“The dynamics here are uncertain. Does Kingon not want the job or has a decision been made to not give it to him? I don’t know and this is something we need to find out,” he said. “If he does want the job, I think it would be only fair to make him permanent.”

Kingon joined Sars in 1984, meaning he has been with the receiver for 34 years.

He recently said he would be reopening the large business centre and investigation unit, two of the most critical functions of Sars closed by Moyane.

– amandaw@citizen.co.za

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