This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
Published on August 28, 2019, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General James Githii Mburu has maintained a tough stance on tax evaders.
Speaking on Citizen TV's Newsnight, Mr. Mburu stated that employers who deduct taxes from their employees but fail to remit them to the State will be treated as criminals.
'What I have decided is that since you have deducted knowing that this is government money, and you have failed to pay, I'm not going to pursue it in a civil manner; because it is deliberate,' said Mr. Mburu.
He emphasized that tax collection deserves respect and seriousness, and that those who knowingly fail to remit taxes will be treated as criminals.
However, Mr. Mburu assured that citizens who unknowingly failed to remit their taxes but come forward will be educated on the process and a payment plan will be worked out for them.
He also stated that investigations into tax evasion are ongoing, and that those responsible for malpractice resulting in the loss of government taxes will be arrested.
'There is no one to be spared, at all,' he said, while reassuring innocent citizens and business owners that they have nothing to worry about.
Mr. Mburu further stated that KRA officials regulating the accounts of tax evaders will also be accountable for the crimes.
'The country does not need to borrow for the next financial year as long as all Kenyans come out and pay their taxes,' he stated.
