Sars will make it ‘hard and costly’ for anyone involved in tax crimes.
The SA Economic Outlook 2022 report shows that the country is experiencing jobless growth, topping the list for both aggregate and youth unemployment. Meanwhile, Evergreen Retirement announces its plans for expansion and a resultant 7,000 jobs that will be created and the Mpumalanga Stainless Steel Initiative focuses on enabling young people to participate in the steel fabrication industry and create 60 jobs this year. A former Sars employee has received a 12-year custodial sentence for facilitating fraudulent VAT refunds and using the proceeds for personal gain.
Sars will ‘root out’ criminality
A former Sars employee has received a 12-year custodial sentence for fraud, forgery, uttering and money laundering, amounting to R6 million.
The employee was sentenced for facilitating fraudulent VAT refunds to three companies, and using the proceeds for personal gain.
Sars Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said, “Sars will not tolerate any criminal conduct by its employees. This is not negotiable, as taxpayers and traders should be able to trust the organisation and its employees to act with integrity. Sars is committed to making it hard and costly for anyone involved in criminal malfeasance on tax matters without fear, favour or prejudice. Sars takes umbrage at some amongst our ranks who engage in criminality. We will root them out.”
MSI to boost steel industry start-ups
The Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI) will run an entrepreneurship programme to assist young people to start businesses or scale up existing small businesses into high-growth ventures, through structured entrepreneurship training.
The training is expected to enable young people to participate in the steel fabrication industry and assist them to access more attractive markets and create 60 new jobs by the end of the year.
Jobless growth
South Africa is experiencing jobless growth, with the country now topping the global charts for both aggregate unemployment, as well as youth unemployment, PwC Strategy’s “SA Economic Outlook 2022” report states.
The closure of companies, owing to the pandemic, load-shedding and other factors, and the scaling down of activities by others have had a big negative impact on South Africa’s employment over the past two years, according to the report.
Evergreen to create more than 7,000 jobs
Evergreen Retirement Holdings plans to expand its national portfolio in the Western Cape and Gauteng and create thousands of jobs in the process.
“The new construction phase will see upwards of 6,000 construction workers employed across the country, with operating villages accounting for a further 1,000 permanent jobs in facilities management, security, hospitality, and healthcare,” says Cobus Bedeker, managing director of Evergreen Property Developments.
Top employers named
Unilever South Africa, Accenture (South Africa) and the Vodacom Group have been named as the top three employers in the country, respectively, for 2022.
The highest scoring organisations are recognised based on the Top Employers Institute’s global ranking policy, and certified as Top Employers for their “outstanding HR strategies and people practices”.
Unilever was also named the No. 1 Top Employer in Africa, with JTI in second place, followed by Vodacom in third place.
