CS Yatani urges KRA to seal revenue collection loopholes

Treasury Ag CS Ukur Yatani (second right) and KRA senior management team at Treasury Building on July 30. [Standard]

Treasury Ag CS Ukur Yatani has urged the Kenya Revenue Authority to be more innovative in sealing loopholes that impede revenue collection.

He said the country needs more revenue to fund public service programmes.

"KRA needs to surpass revenue collection targets so that the ballooning debt burden could be reduced," Yatani said at his first official meeting as the head of the Treasury.

He was named acting CS on July 24 to take over from Henry Rotich, who was charged in court over the Kimwarer and Aror dams scandal.

The CS met the KRA senior management team, led by Commissioner General James Mburu, in his office at Treasury Building on July 30.

Yatani said issues of corruption and wastage deny the government resources to adequately deliver quality services.

"Corruption and tax evasion should not be tolerated."

The CS asked the revenue agency to strategise on how best to seal porous borders to check influx and flight of contraband.

He said the government has empowered KRA with multi-agency experts and questioned why it cannot meet revenue targets.

Yatani was with Treasury PS Julius Muia and Planning PS Torome Saitoti. He said the National Treasury is keen on raising enough funds to support the President’s Big Four Agenda and Vision 2030.

The Cabinet Secretary said the Authority needs to relook its strategies to fight tax evasion.