Global Tax 50 2014: Rished Bade
16 December 2014
Commissioner general, Tanzania Revenue Authority
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Rished Bade is a
new entry this year
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Rished Bade has been described as a "rising star" among African
tax commissioners. Even before President Kikwete appointed the
former banker and accountant to the top job at the Tanzania
Revenue Authority (TRA) in May this year, Bade, who had been
deputy commissioner general for almost two years before that,
was prominent as a speaker at international events on what
developing countries need to do to dramatically improve how
their tax systems operate.
In July 2014, he hosted the International Tax and Investment
Centre's Africa Tax Dialogue, which assembled more than 100
delegates from the public and private sectors in Arusha,
Tanzania to debate topics such as the implications for Africa
of the BEPS project, how to tax the extractive industries and
the best ways to raise VAT. Bade told the Tanzania Daily
News the meeting's main aim was to undertake major reforms
in tax coordination with a view to mobilising VAT revenues and
working to make VAT a simpler and more robust source of
revenues for development. Bade is aiming for Tanzania to
collect 19.9% of GDP in taxes by 2018. The average for
sub-Saharan Africa is about 18%. The establishment of a
taxpayer identification system will be key to this effort.
Bade, who was with Barclays Bank for 10 years before joining
the TRA as deputy commissioner general in September 2012, looks
sure to be at the forefront of efforts by developing countries
to improve their tax administration capabilities for years to
come.