Kenya's President William Ruto on Friday accused the tax collection agency's staff of cutting government revenue by engaging in corruption, colluding with tax evaders and taking bribes.
Kenyan authorities have been fighting corruption and the tax collection agency has come under scrutiny. In May 2019, 75 KRA staff were arrested on suspicion of abetting tax evasion and bribery.
Ruto also accused KRA staff of resisting and sabotaging attempts to digitise revenue collection in the past, to prevent the government from sealing loopholes.KRA has not issued its latest tax collection figures but local media outlets said it collected 1.57 trillion shillings in the 10 months to the end of April, meaning it has just two months to meet the government's target of 2.1 trillion by the end of June.
In terms of tax collected as a proportion of annual economic output, Kenya has been underperforming other nations like South Africa, Ruto said. To shore up revenue, his administration has proposed a raft of tax increases in spending proposals that will be presented to parliament next month, angering citizens and the opposition.
“The bill prepared by the Kenya Kwanza regime is a punishment that Kenyans cannot and should not entertain,” the opposition Azimio coalition said this month, referring to Ruto's Kenya Kwanza political coalition.
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