The MOU covers trainees, graduates and experienced CAs.
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) has partnered with SARS to build skills capacity at the revenue service.
This was announced by SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter and SAICA CEO Freeman Nomvalo, following the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the parties.
Developing a high-performing, diverse, agile, engaged and evolved workforce is one of SARS’s nine strategic objectives documented in its five-year plan that runs until 2024.
As part of its process of ensuring that it has the requisite skills to fulfil its mandate, SARS has reached out to SAICA to assist with recruiting specialists with tax and forensic experience to help capacitate the organisation by mobilising resources from within SAICA’s chartered accountancy membership base.
The collaboration will assist SARS in meeting the demand for skills in areas such as specialist auditing, transfer pricing, base erosion and profit shifting, illicit economy and high wealth individuals.
According to the MOU, SAICA will assist SARS in identifying and recruiting talent based on experience, qualifications and career trajectory in three areas.
These are:
- Trainees: Students who have completed their under- and post-graduate university studies who would train towards qualifying as CAs(SA) at SARS;
- Recently qualified candidates: Young professionals who have recently qualified as CAs(SA) and who have a keen interest in tax and related disciplines will have the opportunity to start their careers with the revenue collector; and
- Experienced candidates: Experienced CAs(SA) with specialist expertise in tax and related disciplines will have the opportunity to lead/assist teams and investigations at SARS.
SAICA will work with SARS to promote the various employment opportunities to its members to assist with the revenue service’s capacitation exercise.
According to the SARS 2021/22 annual performance plan, the revenue service aims to have employees who are highly skilled at addressing and resolving taxpayer and trader queries and disciplined in maintaining organisational processes.
According to the plan, SARS aims to build and maintain a working environment that supports employee growth and development, by providing employees with the tools and skills they need to do their jobs.
To enable implementation of its future strategies, SARS plans to “continue to identify, recruit and train the right people to maintain excellence”.
