Tanzania’s President John Pombe Magufuli has sacked the entire top-brass of the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA).

Magufuli has sustained the pressure on corruption and lack of accountability in the public sector since taking office and this latest move confirms his intention to deliver on his campaign pledge of ridding the East African country of corruption.

Director General Awadhi Massawe, board chairman Joseph Msambichaka and Transport Permanent Secretary Shaban Mwinjaka, were shown the door, and the president went ahead to disband the TPA board following an ongoing crackdown on tax evasion at the country’s largest port, said to deny the government billions of shillings in income every year.

The revelations came to light after Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa visited the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRL) for an impromptu inspection, where he established that about Sh13 billion had been misused.

The president’s decision was communicated Monday by Mr Majaliwa at a press conference in his office in Dar es Salaam as the new head of state seeks to right up things at TPA and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), seen as key revenue income areas for the cash strapped government.

The PM said that the president’s decision was as a result of failure to address other long rooted administrative flaws within TPA.

Mr Majaliwa also announced the dismissal of four senior TPA officers and eight middle level managers, bringing to about 25, the ports officers sent home in the current purge.

He directed that all the 12 be arrested to help in the ongoing investigation to recover billions lost in tax evasion.