Bain & Co to probe own lapses at Sars

International consultancy Bain & Co has launched an internal investigation into its work for the SA Revenue Service (Sars) after shocking information emerged at the commission of inquiry into governance at the tax agency. The company’s overhaul of the Sars operating model was blamed by senior officials testifying at the commission chaired by retired judge Robert Nugent for the destruction of the tax agency’s capacity — which contributed to the hole of about R50bn in revenue collection for 2017-18. The information raises concern about the role played by private sector consultants in the audacious attempt to hollow out the state and neutralise key institutions during the Jacob Zuma administration. McKinsey and audit firm KPMG have also launched internal investigations into allegations that some of their employees made state capture possible. On Sunday, Bain confirmed that it has launched an investigation to establish the "facts" about the work it did for Sars. The probe will be conduc...