Global Tax 50 2014: Rished Bade

Rished Bade is a new entry this year

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.