remarks by mr. mg waweru - cbs, commissioner general, kenya ...

REMARKS BY MR. M.G. WAWERU - CBS, COMMISSIONER GENERAL, KENYA
REVENUE AUTHORITY, DURING THE LAUNCH OF 2011 TAXPAYERS’ WEEK HELD ON
MONDAY 17 TH OCTOBER 2011, OUTSIDE TIMES TOWER, NAIROBI
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance - Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta
• Ministers Present
• Permanent Secretary Treasury – Mr. Joseph Kinyua
• Chairman and Members of KRA Board of Directors
• KRA Commissioners and Staff
• Invited Guests
• Distinguished Taxpayers
• Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning all and welcome to this occasion that marks the beginning of a week of activities in
honour of our distinguished taxpayers. Your presence here this morning is indeed a clear demonstration
of your determination to ensure the success of revenue mobilization in our country. Before I proceed
with my remarks, let me welcome the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and thank him
for accepting the invitation to join us and grace this great event.
The Taxpayers’ Week is observed annually during the week in which 20 th October, ‘Mashujaa Day’,
falls. For us, this is a period of appreciating the role of the taxpayer in the economic development of our
nation and their efforts towards enhancement of financial independence. The Taxpayers’ Week will be
held from today, Monday 17 th October 2011 to Friday 21 st October 2011 throughout the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen, KRA has embraced the challenge of enhancing self-reliance and like last year,
therefore, our theme this year is Tulipe Ushuru Tujitegemee! This theme is in line with the
Government’s resolve to place more emphasis on locally generated resources to implement its
development programmes.
Throughout the week, we have lined up several activities dedicated to you, our taxpayers in our efforts
to create awareness, enhance taxpayer services and meet our corporate social responsibilities. We will
reach out to taxpayers’ at their door steps to conduct tax clinics. These activities will be country wide
and will also include:
• Seminars and tax lectures in schools and colleges
• Provision of online VAT registration and renewal of Driver’s License
• Demonstration and provision of various online services available such as online registration and
application for Personal Identification Number (PIN) and filing Income Tax Returns
• Display of various types of motor vehicle number plates, and
• Launch of school outreach programme, among others.
Ladies and Gentlemen, At KRA, we consider taxpayers to be the cornerstone of our economic
stability and independence and that is why we are committed to nurturing them and ensuring that they
play their rightful role in the development of our great country.
To this end, the Authority has established a Marketing and Communication Department whose role
includes assisting taxpayers understand and meet their obligations, develop programmes to educate and
keep taxpayers, stakeholders and the general public informed, sensitize taxpayers on their rights and
obligations and ensure efficient and prompt delivery of services to taxpayers.
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The Department has been reaching out to taxpayers through tax clinics and mobile cinemas offered at
remote locations thereby bringing services closer to the taxpayers. To enhance service delivery in these
locations of the country, the Authority has now procured a Mobile Taxpayer Services Unit bus which
we are launching today. With the bus, we will now be able to efficiently offer the following services,
among others, on a mobile platform:
• Instant issuance of PIN certificate,
• Registration of Turnover Taxpayers,
• Processing of VAT applications,
• Renewal of Driving Licences and
• Verification of drivers and motor vehicle records.
The bus will also facilitate the distribution of educational materials, receiving tax returns, conducting
taxpayer education activities in general and screening KRA documentaries and infomercials.
Ladies and Gentlemen, over the years, the volume of the Road Transport Department operations has
greatly expanded. Seven years ago, the department registered approximately 30,000 vehicles annually.
Currently, over 100,000 are registered. This significant rise can be attributed partly to the fact that
motorcycles and tri-cycles are now replacing boda boda bicycles in the provision of transport services.
The Kenyan consumer has also developed a peculiar motor purchasing habit. When purchasing a motor
vehicle, they pay more attention to its registration number than its age. Hence, a vehicle with lower
mileage reading but with an ‘old’ registration number would attract fewer buyers than a vehicle with
more mileage but with a recent registration number. As a result, the rate at which KRA changes number
plates from one series to another has grown tremendously.
It is against this background that the Authority, in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport, decided
to introduce unique registration numbers for motorcycles, tri-cycles, tractors, forklifts and heavy
machinery. During the 2009 Taxpayers’ Week celebrations, therefore, the Authority launched a unique
registration number for motorcycles. Today, we shall launch unique registration numbers for tractors
and three wheeler vehicles, commonly known as Tuk Tuk.
In conclusion, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to affirm that KRA is up to the task of delivering the
requisite financial resources needed to steer our country to full financial and economic independence.
However, this can only be achieved if all eligible taxpayers demonstrate patriotism by voluntarily
complying with tax laws. I, therefore, appeal to all taxpayers and Kenyans in general to emulate our
heroes and heroines, who fought to bring this country’s independence, by carrying out their patriotic
duty of paying their right share of taxes and ensure that our country becomes truly independent.
Tulipe Ushuru Tujitegemee!
Thank you.
M. G. Waweru, CBS
COMMISSIONER GENERAL
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