DESPITE the upward trend prevailing in voluntary tax compliance, Tanzanian Revenue Authority (TRA) is faced with a chain of challenges which need to be tackled to ensure improvement in tax administration, it has been revealed.

Among the leading challenges facing TRA, whose rate of tax compliance has gone up from 50 per cent to 70 per cent nationally, are exposing tax evaders.

Tanga TRA Regional Manager, Juma Nyonge Mahanyu, mentioned other challenges as formulating more effective strategies in the control of haphazard importation of goods not taxed - presently flooding the market.

Welcoming the Tanga Regional Commissioner Said Kalembo, who was the guest of honour at the climax of the Taxpayers Day at the weekend, Mahanyu said that the authority envisages to provide better and sustainable services to the taxpayer, refraining from any form of arrogance and harassment.

Considering that the tax payer is a productive partner in national development, he said TRA envisages to ensure growth of the partnership, hence improving tax administration.

He said prior to the Taxpayers Week, TRA had conducted seminars in Lushoto, Korogwe, Muheza and Tanga districts, aimed at raising awareness of taxpayers towards voluntary tax compliance.

A TRA Principal Taxpayers Education Officer, Yeremia Maghi, a facilitator at one of the seminars had said voluntary tax compliance was a component which considerably reduced government costs  normally faced in visiting tax-payers at their respective premises.

"Tax evaders are enemies of the entire nation, because they contribute to failure by the government to provide essential social services to the people," he noted.

Kalembo said at the occasion, where over 25 taxpayers were awarded with certificates for exemplary voluntary tax compliance, that people with shallow thinking believed that it is the government's responsibility to solve all problems facing its citizenry.

"I urge taxpayers to honour their contractual agreements with TRA and pay tax timely," he said.

"The government realises that some unscrupulous businessmen evade payment of taxes, especially those using unofficial routes to ferry untaxed  goods into the country".

He said: "I strongly warn businessmen who resort to smuggling of goods into the region without paying tax and advise them beforehand to either choose to do business or quit the career altogether before they are in trouble with the law".

He reminded TRA of their statutory role to sensitize taxpayers to meet their obligations for the development of the nation.