Commissioner General of TAJ Gets CD

Commissioner General of Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), Ainsley Hugh Powell, has served the public sector with distinction for more than 30 years.

During this period, he has distinguished himself in tax administration and revenue collection, areas with which his name has become synonymous.

For his unstinting stewardship, the Government this year honoured Mr. Powell by conferring him with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD).

He is one of 36 recipients in this category, and among an overall 143 persons who were recognised with national honours and awards on Heroes’ Day, Monday, October 18.

Mr. Powell tells JIS News that he was “pleasantly surprised” upon being notified about his selection, adding that “it’s really a pleasure to be recognised this way”.

His exploits encompass an unbroken tenure spanning the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), where he commenced working in 1982, and its successor, TAJ, for which he was appointed Commissioner General in 2014.

The TAJ, which was created in 2011, evolved from the consolidation of the IRD, Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department (TAAD), and Tax Administration Services Department (TASD) under the Tax Administration Reform Project, embarked on in 2009.

The career civil servant’s storied journey is indicative of his dedication to service excellence delivery and the high regard in which he is held by his peers and other stakeholders.

Mr. Powell previously served as the TAJ’s Chief Technical Advisor and TAAD Commissioner; Deputy Commissioner, Stamp Duty and Transfer Tax/Technical Specialist, TAAD; Bauxite Audit Specialist, Income Tax; Programme Instructor, Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC); and Jamaica’s representative to the Caribbean Organisation of Tax Administrators (COTA) and the Inter-American Centre of Tax Administrators (CIAT).

Widely regarded as a well-respected tax expert and known for his technical competence, Mr. Powell also represented Jamaica at several conferences and seminars locally and internationally.

He was integrally involved in modernising TAJ’s operations through digitisation, commencing in 2015, and was part of the team spearheading the implementation of online processes and establishing new systems now being utilised.

The Commissioner General was also a key figure in reforming Jamaica’s tax structure, which enabled the country to successfully navigate the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) programmes entered by successive governments.

Mr. Powell tells JIS News that he has enjoyed the full support of family members during his engagements over the years.

Notably, he says, is his wife of 33 years, Sharon Powell, a strategic planner at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ); son, Gregory Powell, who is an architect, and daughter, Melanie Powell, who is pursuing an accounting career.

He also pays tribute to his parents, mother Mildred Powell, who was a teacher, and father Julius Powell, who initially worked as a millwright in the bauxite industry before entering the insurance field, as also his siblings, for their unconditional support.

Mr. Powell says members of his wider family, some of whom have worked in the civil service, were instrumental in encouraging him and guiding his career development.

He further highlights the role of teachers at his alma mater, Knox College, who were pivotal in steering him on the path to attaining tertiary education, which he pursued at the former College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST), now the Universioty of Technology (UTech).

The Commissioner General tells JIS News his colleagues and co-workers have also been of “tremendous support” over the years.

“They would have had faith in you by allowing you to do things that, a lot of times, might have seemed difficult… thereby enabling you to break new ground,” he adds.

Mr. Powell, who indicates that he is approaching retirement, is looking forward to contributing further to the TAJ’s growth, pointing out that “we want it to become one of the premier tax administrations worldwide”.

“I’m very optimistic that this can be achieved. I think we currently have a cadre of officers at different levels of the organisation who are very dedicated and focused. So, I think we can do it,” he says.

The Commissioner General also has high expectations of the island transitioning to a developed country under the long-term National Development Plan – Vision 2030 Jamaica.

The Plan seeks to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business.

“I think that we are knocking on [the] door to make our next step forward, and the question is how do we do it. We are very strong, as a people, on social justice and equity; so, the question will be how do we achieve the next level of economic advancement within that context… and we have to just continue to work towards that,” Mr. Powell contends.

He also expresses the hope that he will continue to be “as productive as I can and as best as I can”, after his departure from the public service.