KIGALI - Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has released the names of nineteen officials fired for corruption, abuse of office and mistreatment of taxpayers.

Speaking to The New Times yesterday, the Director for Taxpayers Services in RRA Gerard Nkusi Mukuru said; "the 19 officials who were fired had either tried to swindle money from RRA, mismanaged funds or gave poor services to taxpayers.” He added that some of the 19 officials fired committed the offences last year.

"We are publishing their names and photos in different newspapers including The New Times to alert taxpayers not to deal with them on behalf of RRA,” said Mukuru.

The publishing of corrupt officials by the revenue body comes a few days after top government officials established a new organ that would deal with corruption throughout the country on a wider range.

Mukuru however did not mention the posts held by the officials but instead said that they were junior officials charged with providing different services to taxpayers.

He stressed: "this does not mean that a high ranking official can be corrupt and get away with it, everybody can be punished if he or she abuses the office in any way.”

In a separate development, RRA has taken on training taxpayers on the process, procedures and requirements to exercise their rights while paying taxes.

According to Mukuru, the trainings will be conducted throughout the country and will be aimed partly at fostering mutually beneficial relationships with taxpayers and RRA.

He added that the trainings will help avail tax information to the taxpayers in a simplified way for everyone to understand, so as to promote voluntary compliance.

"We have drawn  plans of how to get closer to the taxpayers and educate them on their rights; interestingly people are starting to understand why they should pay taxes which is different from before when a tax collector was hunting for a hiding taxpayer,” Mukuru said.

The campaign to educate taxpayers started last week from Gatsata, a Kigali city suburb and was attended by over 135 taxpayers while yesterday’s was held at Inkundamahoro cooperative in Nyabugogo - another Kigali city suburb.

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