The Kenya Revenue Authority announced Wednesday the rollout of an extensive on-ground customer support program to boost tax compliance across the country.
The program has deployed 1,400 newly trained field officers, known as Revenue Service Assistants, to provide in-person assistance and ensure taxpayers meet their obligations, the KRA said in a tweet.
“The officers will provide on-ground service support, bringing services even closer to taxpayers,” the KRA tweeted. “For ease of identification, the officers will have KRA staff identification cards and be in uniform.”
The public can also verify their credentials using KRA-provided USSD code *572# or mobile application.
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This initiative aligns with the government’s push to increase revenue collection through improved compliance. In August, the 1,400 KRA recruits graduated from rigorous two-month paramilitary training with the Kenya Defence Forces to prepare for this mission.
They have landed in town. Remember they have paramilitary training skills. KRA this time means business. pic.twitter.com/6NInhs9myd
— Senator Beatrice Akinyi Ogolla (@BeatriceOyomo) September 20, 2023
The team was charged with implementing radical measures to transform tax administration that comprises revenue mobilization. Goals include collecting KES 2.7 trillion this fiscal year and KES 3 trillion by 2024-2025.
As RSAs, their responsibilities will include expanding the tax base by identifying unlicensed traders across markets, conducting surveillance to enforce registration, and ensuring businesses issue receipts to customers. Their military-style training readies them for strict enforcement procedures to curb pervasive tax evasion.
RSAs will be tasked with expanding the tax base through extensive market surveillance to identify non-registered traders and continuous patrols to ensure customers are issued tax receipts by traders.
With this expansive on-ground support network, the KRA aims to radically transform tax compliance and achieve ambitious revenue targets in the coming years.
