Kenyans have a civic obligation to pay their taxes to enable the government to render quality services to the people.
National Treasury and Economic Planning Principal Secretary Dr. Chris Kiptoo has observed that if everyone paid taxes dutifully, the tax base would increase, leading to more income for easier implementation of government services and development projects.
‘There is no way the government will run and manage the affairs of its people without collecting taxes,’ said the PS, adding that tax payment was an obligation for every patriotic Kenyan.
Dr. Kiptoo made the remarks during a one-day stakeholder engagement forum that brought together Kenya Revenue Authority officials and the business community from the North Rift region at an Eldoret hotel.
Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga and Commissioner for Domestic Taxes Rispah Simiyu were in attendance.
The PS urged Kenyans to be patriotic and pay their correct share of taxes, as this would create a fair and competitive
business environment, grow the economy, and enable the country to be self-reliant.
‘I do not understand why the majority of Kenyans are reluctant to pay their taxes, yet they are more than willing to raise money for the construction of churches and schools without any coercion,’ he said.
He called on the business community to proactively pay their correct share of taxes and champion compliance initiatives if they expect the government to provide critical services and development programmes.
In his remarks, Wattanga said KRA has been implementing a more facilitative service-focused approach to tax collection to make tax payments easy for every Kenyan.
He assured Kenyans of KRA’s commitment to collaborate with stakeholders in implementing compliance support programmes that respond to taxpayers’ unique needs.
‘I want to appeal to all stakeholders to continue engaging with us as we work collectively to serve you better. We will enhance our focus on taxpayers’s education and staff integrity,’ he added.
The C
ommissioner General further assured of KRA’s collaboration to ensure the Tax Amnesty and e-IMS programmes successfully respond to its revenue goals.
Source: Kenya News Agency
The first high-level Maghreb regional meeting on “Digital transformation of education for the implementation of SDG4” opened on Monday in Tunis.
The two-day event is organised by the Maghreb office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, to promote cooperation between Maghreb countries, implement the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) on access to quality education and launch a dialogue on digital transformation of education in the region.
Attended by the Minister of Education, Mohamed Ali Boughdiri, the Minister of Education of the Libyan Government of National Unity, Musa Mohamed Almaghrif, the Minister of National Education and Reform of the Education System of Mauritania, Mokhtar Ould Dahi, and the Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO), Mohamed Ould Amar, this event aims to strengthen partnership in the digital transformation and promotion of education
systems, in addition to the implementation of criteria for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the teaching and education sector.
During this meeting, education and teaching experts from Maghreb countries will discuss digital transformation and the challenges of using modern technologies in education and teaching.
A joint action plan will be developed to promote education and training.
Chairing the opening session, Boughdiri underlined Tunisia’s commitment to strengthening the role of education in promoting opportunities for success for all. He stressed the importance of investing in qualitative and quantitative education, which he said was the best guarantee for the integration of Maghreb people and for changing mentalities.
The organisation of this meeting in partnership with UNESCO reflects Tunisia’s commitment to developing cooperation with international and Maghreb countries, particularly in the field of education.
Boughdiri also reiterated Tunisia’s unwavering support for the Palestinian peo
ple in their struggle against Zionist aggression and called on the international community to take concrete measures to put an end to this human tragedy.
In a press briefing held on the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister announced that the number of schools connected to the high speed internet network will reach 4,000 next April. This initiative is part of the state’s policy to promote teaching methods and encourage students to access knowledge via the Internet, he stressed.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse