Govt tax body trains thousands of teachers

IN its effort to increase tax compliance, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has partnered with the Ministry of Education to train teachers on the role of taxes.

Monday, April 14, 2008

IN its effort to increase tax compliance, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) has partnered with the Ministry of Education to train teachers on the role of taxes.

Annette Birungi, RRA publicist said the initiative is to enable teachers and students appreciate the role of taxation in the development of the country.

"Tax education has been incorporated in the school curriculum. Students in the country will be taught the taxation topic," she said.

In the long run RRA will collect more taxes as the tax base increases. Spirit of tax compliance will be inculcated in the young generation, Birungi said.

RRA staff are now moving from camp to camp after the unity and reconciliation commission invited them to lecture the solidarity students on taxes. This holiday, most teachers are undergoing training in the solidarity camps countrywide, and so far RRA has been to five camps.

Birungi said the teachers will then train the students from primary to university level.

If incorporated in the school curriculum, students will also be examined on issues of taxation.

It is through tax education that RRA has partly started this year with high morale after the tax body surpassed their January and February targets.

Provisional revenue performance for January and February show that up to Frw43 billion was collected, the tax body had targeted to collect only Frw39 billion, surpassing the target by Frw4 billion.

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