Parliamentary response to questions about VAT repayments indicates serious problems at SARS

3 July 2017

The Minister of Finance’s avoidance of probing written questions put forward by the FF Plus with regard to the delays in the repayment of VAT to numerous businesses, raises the serious question of whether the state capture is also a threat to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), says adv. Anton Alberts, FF Plus parliamentary spokesperson for Finance.

According to adv. Alberts, none of the questions by the FF Plus were answered. The questions were simply evaded with the statement that the tax Ombudsman is currently busy with an investigation into the matter. (Please see the questions and answers attached).

“This evasive answer and the failure to provide satisfactory answers to the other questions by the FF Plus are indicative of a worrisome situation at SARS. It speaks for itself and it sends red lights flashing.

“The economy is currently suffering due to the Gupta’s state capture of the treasury and various small businesses are actually keeping the economy going because they are currently creating jobs on a large scale. Now it seems like SARS is playing a huge role in destroying such small businesses because it is holding on to VAT money that legally belongs to the said businesses.

“The FF Plus is going to request that the Ombudsman launch an investigation into the matter to determine how many businesses are affected, how many people have been laid-off and how many businesses had to eventually close their doors due to this situation at SARS,” says adv. Alberts.

Issued by Anton Alberts, FF Plus parliamentary spokesperson: Finance, 3 July 2017