President William Ruto has asked Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to embrace professionalism while discharging its duties.
He said citizens should be treated with respect and decency while collecting taxes instead of harassing them.
Speaking at the Sarova Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa on Friday, during 2023 Taxpayers Day, Ruto said the Government will not entertain harassment of citizens by KRA officials while collecting taxes.
“I take this opportunity to emphasise to KRA that it is possible to be courteous, kind and gentle to taxpayers and at the same time become even more effective and efficient in tax collection,” he said.
At the same time, President Ruto said the Cabinet has approved the Public Audit (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will enhance the Auditor-General’s independence and transparency to ensure proper utilization of public resources through audits and also provide power for fraud investigations.
“It is important that as Government, we communicate this commitment clearly because the citizens and taxpayers deserve to know it as a matter of right,” he said.
He said the country’s taxpayers are supporting national transformation by financing the provision of public services, strategic investments and our national revenue sovereignty.
President Ruto said the Government will continue to reform KRA to enhance service delivery and eliminate corruption.
He singled out digitisation and culture change in the collection of taxes as some of the initiatives being undertaken to improve service delivery at the national revenue collection agency.
“I announced at the last National Taxpayers’ Day, that the time has come for KRA to undertake a comprehensive culture change to make it aligned with the revenue mobilization imperatives of a new constitutional dispensation, governing platform, strategic realities and economic conditions,” said President Ruto.
He noted that the era of a draconian agency driving taxpayers into terror through the overzealous and tyrannical abuse of statutory authority in the name of revenue collection is long gone.
“KRA must therefore continuously demonstrate a singular commitment to new service-oriented values and signal a departure from the abuses and excesses of previous times, which only served to elicit resentment and encourage evasion while facilitating wastage, theft, embezzlement and other corrupt practices,” said Ruto.
Ruto said the implementation of a national digital identity framework, will also go a long way in facilitating the collection of relevant data for revenue mobilization.
“I recognize the cardinal obligation of government to utilize all revenues prudently and efficiently in the service of our citizens. This commitment stands and we are committed to do so with maximum transparency and accountability,” said President Ruto.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua assured Kenyans that all the revenues collected were being used prudently.
“I want to assure Kenyans that the taxes they are paying are being utilized for the intended purpose. We will deal with anyone who misappropriates such funds,” said Gachagua.
Finance Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u dismissed claims that there were new additional taxes on personal items.
He said the law was clear on the increase of taxes, saying they were working under the guidance of the Finance Bill.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa and Finance Committee Chairman Kimani Kuria said efficient service delivery at KRA was key to the collection of enough taxes to fund the country’s development projects.
