Tax College Is Foreclosed

National Tax College, which has turned out many government tax officials over the last 20 years, will hold its final graduation ceremony Saturday before it shuts its doors at the end of this month.

Established in 1980 by the government to develop "clean" experts to work for government tax agencies, the two-year institute has produced 5,099 graduates and 20 to 30 percent of government tax officials.

The state-run school was especially popular among students who had strong academic records but were short on cash for higher education, as all tuition and school-related expenses were provided by the government. Successful graduates were then guaranteed jobs as government officials.

The government decided to shut the college following criticism that it was a waste of taxpayers' money, as many other schools that produce tax specialists exist, and as part of public sector reform.