Madagascar Opens Tax Corruption Platform on October 9
POLITICS · MADAGASCAR
Key Facts
- —The country Madagascar, the large island off south-east Africa, has been led by an army colonel since October 2025.
- —Why it matters Corruption was one of the grievances behind the 2025 uprising. Madagascar scores 25 out of 100 on Transparency International's 2025 index, 148th of 182.
- —Why now The tax directorate launched its own reporting channel as the head of state makes graft a pillar of his Refoundation programme.
- —What happened On Friday 9 October the platform Torohy went live in Antananarivo. Colonel Michaël Randrianirina predicted complaints against 90% of tax staff.
- —What it means for US readers US firms paying taxes or bidding for contracts there gain a channel to report bribe demands. US law forbids paying them.
- —Still open How reports will be investigated, who reviews them, and whether any official is charged. Customs and the treasury have no such platform yet.
Madagascar’s tax administration launched a public platform for reporting corruption on Friday 9 October in Antananarivo. The head of state used the ceremony to challenge its managers to punish proven cases. The step is the latest test of Madagascar tax corruption reform since a military-led government took power a year ago. For foreign investors, including US companies, it touches the daily friction of paying taxes and winning public contracts on the island.
The platform is called Torohy. It lets the public report corruption and related offences inside the tax service, according to L’Express de Madagascar. The paper covered the launch at the Carlton hotel in the Anosy district of the capital.
The initiative came from the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI), which is part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Moov, a Malagasy news portal, confirmed the launch at Anosy and reported that Torohy also takes reports about taxpayers, not only tax officials.
A Challenge Aimed at the Tax Service
Colonel Michaël Randrianirina addressed the tax officials directly. “Would you dare to crack down?” he asked, in a question the paper reported in French as “Oseriez-vous sévir?”.
His point was that a reporting tool means little if nobody acts on what arrives. He said tax managers, and where needed the finance minister, must hand colleagues to the courts when facts are proven. They must also impose disciplinary sanctions.
He then made the remark that dominated local coverage. “I dare say that 90% of the employees of your directorate will be the subject of complaints on this platform,” he said.
That figure is his own prediction, not a finding about Madagascar tax corruption. No audit or official survey has measured misconduct across the tax workforce, and complaints are not proof of wrongdoing.
He listed the practices he wants to end. They include taking a cut for releasing payments on public contracts, levying different taxes on one activity, and tax favouritism.
He also asked for the same kind of platform at the Directorate General of Customs and the Directorate General of the Treasury. Both sit inside the Ministry of Economy and Finance alongside the tax directorate.
Who Is Colonel Randrianirina
Randrianirina is an army officer who came to power after youth-led protests in 2025. On Tuesday 14 October 2025 the High Constitutional Court (HCC), Madagascar’s top constitutional body, ruled that the presidency was vacant.
In decision 10-HCC/D3, the court invited “the competent military authority embodied by Colonel Randrianirina Michaël” to act as head of state. Later HCC rulings refer to him as President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar.
The Refoundation is his name for the transition programme. At Friday’s launch he tied it directly to the protests. “Good governance is one of the aspirations that led us to rise up and fight,” he said.
“The fight against corruption must be waged without concession and without favouritism,” he added. He conceded that some officials resist change “to preserve their personal interests”.
For background on how the transition works, see our explainer Madagascar Explained: Who Rules After the 2025 Takeover and What Comes Next.
What It Means for US Readers
US companies that operate in or trade with Madagascar deal with the same tax and customs offices named on Friday. A credible channel for reporting bribe demands could lower one of the hidden costs of doing business.
US companies and their staff are barred by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act from paying bribes to foreign officials. A local reporting route gives them a documented way to refuse and report a demand instead.
The risk is the reverse. A flood of unverified complaints could slow tax administration, and a platform that produces no prosecutions would add little. The economic backdrop is already fragile, as our report Madagascar Economy Reels as Vanilla Collapses and Ambatovy Halts Again describes.
Madagascar is not starting from zero. The Independent Anti-Corruption Bureau (Bianco), the national anti-graft agency, already runs an anonymous complaints portal called i-Toroka. L’Express de Madagascar says it has existed since 2019 but that its impact on impunity remains unproven.
What Is Not Known
The tax directorate has not explained publicly how Torohy reports will be screened. Nor has it said who will investigate them or how whistle-blowers will be protected.
There is no timetable for the customs and treasury platforms the head of state requested. It is also unclear whether reports will be shared with Bianco or with prosecutors.
Moov confirmed the launch and the call for customs and treasury platforms. The direct speech quotes, including the 90% remark, come from L’Express de Madagascar alone and have not been checked against an official transcript.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Torohy?
Torohy is an online platform launched by Madagascar's Directorate General of Taxes on Friday 9 October 2026. It lets the public report corruption and related offences in the tax service.
Who is Colonel Michaël Randrianirina?
He is an army officer. On 14 October 2025 Madagascar's High Constitutional Court declared the presidency vacant and invited him to act as head of state.
Did he say 90% of tax staff are corrupt?
No. He predicted that 90% of tax directorate employees would be the subject of complaints on the platform. A complaint is not proof of wrongdoing.
How does Madagascar rank on corruption?
Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025 gives Madagascar 25 out of 100, ranking it 148th of 182 countries.
Why should US companies care about Madagascar tax corruption?
US firms operating in Madagascar deal with its tax and customs offices, and US law bars them from paying bribes. A reporting channel gives them a documented way to refuse and report demands.
Sources: L’Express de Madagascar, launch of Torohy, 10 October 2026; Moov, Torohy platform, 9 October 2026; High Constitutional Court of Madagascar, decision 10-HCC/D3 of 14 October 2025 and decision 16-HCC/D3 of 18 November 2025; Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index, Madagascar; Bianco, i-Toroka complaints portal.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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