No place for corrupt officers at IRC: Koim

The National Main Stories

THE Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) has no place for corrupt officers, says Commissioner-General Sam Koim.
He was responding to the arrest of one officer and the dismissal of another for alleged misconduct.
The IRC in a statement said the sacked officer had been working there for 10 years, moving up the ranks to become the manager of a division.
He allegedly printed out a consolidated statement of accounts for a particular taxpayer in 2019 which was used to extort money from that taxpayer.
The other officer allegedly received a bribe of K10,000 from a taxpayer in 2017 to write off stamp duties regarding a property transfer.
He was charged with four offences including official corruption.
National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate detectives acted on a complaint lodged by Koim and arrested the officer.
He was later suspended without pay. Koim said the “stamp duties section had been a high-risk area where a lot of people are evading taxes”.
“This arrest marks the beginning of a clean-up in that section. I am aware that contracts for the sale of properties had been significantly undervalued for the sole purpose of distorting stamp duties,” he said.
“And unfortunately, we have some lawyers and real estate agents engaging in that activity.
“Bribery always takes two willing participants: the giver and the taker.
“Since taking office 10 months ago, I have been concentrating on our in-house clean-up.
“I have dismissed 10 officers for tax fraud-related offences and 25 more are currently under investigation.
“The IRC has zero tolerance for corruption and therefore established a very robust internal disciplinary process that deals with complaints against IRC staff.”

28 comments

  • Good one, and thank you for starting it in IRC, other governmental bodies and private businesses may follow your example.
    And truly make this NATION – PNG, a Godly nation. Let’s start building Kingdom businesses and institions in the FEAR of God to share our wealth with the poor, needy, the sick and the dying.
    This is sharing the Kingdom Gospel of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.

  • you are truly a proud son of PNG has done alot to continually fight corruption in its face. i commend your tireless effort to beef up IRC. there are so many corrupt officers in IRC and starting to weed them out. its a shamefull for normal ordianry citizens to pay up taxes while property owners and some ignorant lawyers can just cheat the system to get away with their legal obligation. keep up the excellent work and lets achieve a corrupt free PNG

  • Mr Koim, this is a good start because for every State entity to progress well, cleaning your internal backyard is the first and foremost task before looking at the other areas. On of underlying factor in government revenue decline is due to corrupt tax officers colliding with tax payers…I salute you for a job well done.

  • That’s it Mr Koim. Please keep it up with the good spirit of honesty. I would appreciate if other government departments doing the same thing. Below are corrupted government departments so ministers and secretaries must clean up as well.
    1. Department of Finance & Treasury
    2. Department of Works & Implementations & National Tender Board (especially awarding contracts)
    3. Department of Lands & Physical Planning
    4. Department of Mining & Mineral Resource Authority (MRA) Office
    5. Department of Public Service & Personal management (because retired people and those public servants not at work are still get paid by government)
    6. Department of Provincial Affairs & Electoral Boundaries ( Need to change new electoral commissioner

  • Mr. Koim, You have proven traits fighting corruption at the highest level and your appointment to head the IRC, the money making institution of the nation was to curb corruption and indeed you just started well.

  • Every departmental heads should consider this approach “cleaning up the backyard”.

  • Good on you Mr Koim. Continue the good work of cleaning up so all our tax monies go where they should and everyone pays an honest tax.

  • Well done Mr. S. Koim you are a real man of God whom I see you as you do fear God the most and you have a real heart for PNG and I surely trust you and salute in you duties. If PNG have a hand full of people like yourself and Prime Minister, James Marape than we will really take back PNG and recognize PNG as a real christian country. Corruption starts from the Parliament house down to the grassroots and its hard to weed out quickly so lets pray that God the almighty will produce more of your calibre in PNG. Surely you are doing a marvelous job keep it up, God Bless.

  • Well done Mr. Koim, on be half of tax payers throughout the country, i salute you for up rooted the corruption…

  • Good job Sam. You stood tall amongst all other department executives and the approach you are taking is for the good of 9 million plus people and the country. Job well done to you…and you have just set the pace for other departments/institutions or organizations to follow.
    The country through this PMJM DS government is much more bigger than those corrupt individuals.

  • That’s it! PNG need such a vibrant man who can talk as a leader. Put PNG first then other things, we as a people of this nation salute you Mr. Koim. Keep on doing the job, uprooted the weeds who spoils the system.

  • Well done Mr Sam Koim (former Task Force Sweep Boss). You have are heart for the country.

  • What if 10 Department Heads with this IRC vision worked to weed out corruption. Take back PNG would be witnessed in days if not weeks.

    Good on you, Mr. Koim continue your hard work…. taking tough measures ……..

  • I commend you for a job well done Sam Koim. All CEOs/Dept heads should see this and pull their socks in their respective departments. If all think and put PNG first, I believe we can take back PNG from our own corrupt & greed. Cheers to you Sam Koim.

  • This is a very big challenge to the other the Departments & Stat Bodies, we will now see what they come up with.

  • Good job. Time to end systematic corruption. Those found guilty must also be send to jail as a warming to others. Otherwise it’s useless doing cleanup.be tough, be serious, be consequent.

  • I hope other Department Heads find the courage and follow what you are doing. Thank you Sir for your fight against corruption.

  • Thank you, Sam Koim, for excellent work in rooting out corruption at IRC. Makes me think of Allen Catherine Kagina, who was in charge of taxation in the nation of Uganda. She fired all 2000 employees of the Uganda Revenue Authority because corruption was very pervasive. She then hired back 1500,…they had to re-apply for their former jobs. The upshot was that revenues were up 310%! That is a goal for you, Mr Koim, to increase tax revenues in PNG by 300% in two or three years. You’re off to a great start!

  • Thank you! Bro… No fear or favor , Job Well Done, This is an Bench Mark other CEO’s in all Government Business arm must do the same. When you fear God you don’t need to fear any human being here on earth.

  • Well down Mr.Koim. Marape needs to appoint more Koims in all departments to kill corruption in the public service. How will we take back PNG ? If we can atleast metigate and reduce corruption in our public service we will be on the right tract to make png then richest black nation in PNG…..

  • well done same. koim, Your good reputation, I credit. God will always bless you. citizen appreciated your good job

  • Well done Mr.Koim. I’m curious to know why this was not picked-up by your predecessors??? I suggest that the government should setup an internal audit team lead by yourself to audit all the government institutions and SOEs in the country.

  • Thanks Mr Koim for a well done job, this so call blessed country of ours call PNG is being run by almost every corrupt leaders and its about time when one or two of our leaders like you need to stand up and speak out and weed out corruption.

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