Saturday, November 2, 2024 – President William Ruto has maintained that everyone in
Kenya must pay taxes as he committed to domestic revenue mobilization.
Speaking during the Tax Payers’
Day Awards at State House, Ruto said every eligible taxpayer must contribute
their fair share to support development and services, with no one evading their
duty or benefiting unfairly from others’ contributions.
The President commended “patriotic
Kenyans” for performing their duty and filing eight million tax returns by June
30, 2024, surpassing the target by 26 per cent.
“Tax compliance is not only a
legal and civic duty but also signifies our shared commitment to contribute
towards national transformation,” he explained.
However, Ruto noted that Kenya’s
current revenue collection is significantly below the East African Community
target of 25 per cent of GDP.
“Our aim is to raise revenue
from 14 percent to 22 per cent of GDP within the next decade and to promote
compliance from 70 per cent to 90 per cent by 2026-27,” he said.
He added that expanding the tax
base by addressing hard-to-tax sectors such as the informal economy and digital
businesses will require collaboration, innovation and determination.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
