Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has groomed more than two thousand tax ambassadors, drawn from several universities across the country, to help spread the tax gospel among the Kenyan citizens.
The KRA Northern Regional Coordinator Nicholas Kinoti said the revenue body has moved to instill a culture of tax compliance among Kenyans by creating tax societies in universities countrywide, through a model dubbed ‘adopt a county’.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Northern Region Marketing Coordinator Alfred Wachira during the launch of a tax society at Chuka University Wednesday, Kinoti revealed that the programme had groomed over 2,000 ambassadors drawn from 30 tax societies established in different universities.
He further elaborated that the society would help the general public by offering basic services such as filing tax returns and giving general tax education to the communities within the university’s neighbourhood.
“Effective tax system relies on high levels of voluntary compliance, and taxpayer education is a key component in boosting the willingness of individuals and businesses to pay tax. Across the globe, governments and tax administrations have developed innovative tax programmes to inform the taxpayer in a bid to enhance domestic resource mobilization and incarnate tax culture,” read part of Kinoti’s speech adding that “at KRA, we have all the responsibility to inform and make sure the taxpayer is compliant without being coerced”.
The Registrar of Administration and Planning at Chuka University Dr. Peter Opiayo Mabubi said that “as a country, we cannot move forward without paying taxes”.
“As an institution, we make sure that we remit our taxes in good time and the culture of paying taxes will help our students when they get into the job sector. It is a good move from KRA to select Chuka University to form a tax society and to represent other universities in the region,” Dr. Opiayo said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Dr. Benjamin Kanga, Dean of Students at the university, who thanked KRA for helping the institution form a tax society and educating the students on the advantages of filing tax returns and paying taxes.
“The Tax society will help students become tax ambassadors to their parents’ back home and help them understand that most of the funds they get from the government are from taxes,” Dr. Kanga said.
By Kelvin Miriti
