FACTBOX: South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan

(Reuters) - Pravin Gordhan, the former head of South Africa's tax authority, was named as finance minister on Sunday. Here are some facts about him.

* He has been Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) since 1999, dramatically boosting collection rates. It collected nearly 100 percent of targeted revenue for the year ending March 31, some 625 billion rand ($74 billion), just two billion short of target.

* Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, of south Asian descent, was born in Durban in April 1949. He was a member of parliament between 1994 and 1998 for the African National Congress.

* He was elected as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee, which had oversight over the implementation of the new constitutional order. At the same time, he played a leading role in drafting the present Constitution. He also led the process of formulating a new policy framework for local government transformation.

* In July 2006, he completed his term as Chairperson of the World Customs Organization -- a position he held for an unprecedented five terms. In 2004 his contract as Commissioner of SARS was extended for another five years.

Sources Reuters/Who's who in SouthAfrica/www.bizcommunity.com