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SARS will act on forensic report when time is right

Cape Town - The SA Revenue Service (SARS) has considered the contents of an investigative report into its modernisation projects between 2007 and 2014, and will take action at the "appropriate time", it told Fin24 on Tuesday.

SARS confirmed that Grant Thornton was appointed on 1 June 2016 to conduct a preliminary investigation into the revenue service's modernisation projects following a competitive bid process. It confirmed that the scope period of the investigation was between 2007 to 2014, and that Grant Thornton submitted a final report during December 2016.

SARS would, however, not go into the contents of the report. 

"SARS considers the contents of the Grant Thornton report and the fees paid to be a confidential matter between the organisation and a business partner and, as a result, cannot divulge or discuss the details," it told Fin24.  

Grant Thornton also confirmed to Fin24 on Tuesday that it was appointed to conduct a forensic investigation at SARS and that this mandate has been completed.

SARS and the advisory firm were commenting on a report in Business Day which said SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane seemed to be on a "fishing expedition" after a prelimenary Grant Thornton forensic report on SARS' modernisation and technology programme was allegedly found to be "less impressive than expected".

The period covered by the investigation overlaps with the time former finance minister Pravin Gordhan was SARS Commissioner.

The newspaper reported that Moyane had been sitting on the report for a year without taking any action. The article claimed a request by SARS for Treasury to extend the probe back to 2005 and for an additional R50m for this purpose has been declined.

Grant Thornton told Fin24 it issued its final report to SARS during December 2016.

"The firm was specifically appointed to conduct an independent preliminary forensic investigation of the Modernisation and Technology Programme from 2007 to 2014," the firm said.

"Grant Thornton is bound by confidentiality agreements with SARS and the firm is therefore unable to disclose the terms and conditions of the appointment, the detailed scope of the investigation and the contents of its preliminary forensic investigation report."

Grant Thornton further said that it was unable to provide any further comment, opinion or insight into this matter and that all further questions should be directed to SARS.

Treasury had not responded to Fin24's request for comment by the time of publication of this article.

* Update: National Treasury responded to Fin24 on Wednesday as follows: "Deviations supported or not supported will be published on the National Treasury website in October."

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