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.
Concurrently, President Ruto announced that the Public Audit (Amendment) Bill, 2023, had been adopted by the Cabinet.
This will improve the independence and transparency of the Auditor-General in order to guarantee appropriate use of public resources through audits and also grant authority 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.
According to him, the nation's taxpayers are funding national revenue sovereignty, strategic investments, and the delivery of public services, all of which contribute to national transformation.
According to President Ruto, the government will keep reforming KRA in order to improve service delivery and get rid of corruption.
He highlighted two efforts being made to enhance service delivery at the national revenue collection agency: digitization and a shift in the culture surrounding tax collecting.
"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 pointed out that the days of a harsh agency abusing its statutory authority in an irrational and violent manner to terrorise taxpayers in the name of revenue collection are 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.
According to Ruto, putting in place a national framework for digital identity will also greatly benefit in gathering pertinent information for tax mobilisation.
"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.
Kenyans were reassured by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that all collected revenues were being used responsibly.
"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.
Njuguna Ndung'u, the secretary of the finance cabinet, denied rumours of increased taxes on personal goods.
He stated that the Finance Bill was their guide and that the law was unambiguous regarding tax increases.
Effective service delivery at KRA, according to National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wa and Finance Committee Chairman Kimani Kuria, is essential to generating adequate tax revenue to support the nation's development initiatives.
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