By: Igihe.com Reporter
President Paul Kagame has urged relevant authorities and the general public to devise ways of improving tax collection to get increased revenues in the country.
While officiating at the 10th taxpayers’ day, President Kagame said that time is ripe to think collectively on how revenues can be increased to prevent over dependency on foreign aid.
“Those countries supporting our budget and different projects get their funds from their citizens with whom we should have equal dignity,” Kagame said while addressing hundreds of taxpayers that turned up to celebrate the day.
“Those countries too have problems to cater for, and once problems persist they can lose morale of supporting you, so one should think of measures to prevent dependency on foreign aid. One should think beyond the available aid in case they lose morale for supporting us today due to lost generosity or overwhelmed by their problems,” Kagame warned.
Kagame called for voluntary tax compliance so as citizens could be able to be self reliant to solve over dependence on foreign aid.
Taxpayers to contribute 48% of this year’s national budget was provided by tax while 41% from foreign aid and the rest from external debts.
Rwanda Revenue Authority managed to collect Rwf 491bn out of targeted Rwf 458bn both fiscal and non-fiscal revenues of 2010/11 tax year.
According to Ben Kagarama the commissioner general of RRA, this year’s projected tax revenue is Rwf 515 bn which is likely to be attained given the new tax reforms.
Recently, the Minister of Finance and economic planning John Rwangombwa said that the government wants the citizens’ contribution to hit a target of 60% in 2014/2015 national budget believing it will be a tremendous stride taken by Rwandans themselves to get rid of aid dependency.
This year’s 10th Taxpayer’s day had a theme “Tax Compliance Dignifies a Nation” aimed at increasing tax compliance among taxpayers as well as sharing the ownership of paying taxes.
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