PROFILE: Mark Kingon — the man who is excited about taxes
The man tasked with holding the fort at the revenue service is a dyed-in-the-wool stickler for the rules, and has given his life to the tax-collecting profession
For 34 years, Mark Kingon has been part of the furniture at the SA Revenue Service (Sars). Now he will take the helm at the tax collector — at least until President Cyril Ramaphosa appoints a new commissioner in the coming weeks. Seated in a boardroom at the Sars head office in Pretoria, Kingon is jovial. Despite the whirlwind of his appointment, he is eager to ensure Sars has a good story to tell. Two weeks ago, Ramaphosa announced the suspension of commissioner Tom Moyane, who has been surrounded by controversy. In a scathing letter, he said he had "lost confidence in [Moyane’s] ability to lead Sars". According to the Sars Act, Kingon can stay in the position for only 90 days but he’s clearly aiming to please, particularly with the task of announcing whether Sars has met its revenue targets. The tax collector’s revenue shortfall was an eyewatering R48bn in the past financial year. "I really want to be transparent. I don’t want to hide things. Let’s focus on our mandate of revenue ...
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