Finance Minister Commends TAJ

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, has hailed Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) for collecting four per cent more revenue than was projected for the first four months of this fiscal year.

He said Jamaica is reaping the benefits of a “transformed” TAJ, and that all the economic fundamentals are moving in the right direction.

The Minister was delivering the keynote address at the graduation ceremony for persons who participated in the Tax Audit and Revenue Administration (TARA) postgraduate programme, held on September 14 at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

Dr. Clarke told the graduates that persons working for the tax agencies of the Government are “integral and valuable” to the public service. “You are upskilling yourselves in a vital area that is inextricably linked with Jamaica’s success,” the Minister said.

Stressing the Government’s commitment to “reconfiguring” the public sector, Dr. Clarke told the audience that the development of human capital is a key component of the programme, so that “we can continue to meet the demands of the Jamaican people who want better service”.

In 1998, the training programme was accredited by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) as a professional postgraduate diploma. Successful completion of the 13-month course enables the participants to be appointed as Tax Auditors to work in any of the five Revenue Departments.

Training is administered in collaboration with the TAJ Human Resource Department, the Management Institute for National Development (MIND), and the Jamaica Customs Agency.

To date, more than 600 persons have graduated from the programme.