Good governance Tax power awareness creation at Kibra
By WANJALA B. DANSON
The government estimates it loses over Ksh 100 billion annually in activities related to tax evading either by individuals or companies. However, only o.7 billion collected is allocated to health ironically to promise President Uhuru Kenya fulfilling of providing free maternity health Kenyans. This was revealed on Saturday when residents of Kibera attendant Good Governance Festival 2014 held at Kibra Social Grounds (DC) from 11am to 6pm.
The aimed of event was to edify residents on importance of pay tax and the government role in allocating and spending tax in consideration of the interest of Kenyans who mobilize tax. Actionacid in association with other organizations including Kibra Community Development Agenda (KCODA) , Kwacha Africa , Global Platform of Nairobi Kenya, Africa Community Development Media (ACDM) Kenya Revenue Authority(KRA) and East Africa Tax Governance Networks (EATGN) .
The theme of this year is good governance festival was “tax power” which relates to citizens paying tax, the government improving it ways of collecting tax to gap tax evader and giving back to its citizens in the way of distributing resources earned from tax collection, to all citizens without discriminating their tribe, gender, religion, region they come from or status in the society.
Education started with residents been educated on what tax provide entails sitting importance of tax to the government and its citizen, how the government uses tax to provide basic human needs like food, water, security, school, hospital , roads in addition to paying civil servant delivering such services. Issues arise of responsibility of citizen to pay tax matching it with the responsibility of the government to its citizen in the context of spending tax money in the interest of citizen.
However, it was established that not people in Kenya, Kenyan or foreigner living in Kenya pays tax in equal proportions of tax in relation to their income. It emerges poorest and most vulnerable Kenyans pay a bigger share of tax in calculation to their income ratio. The richest are the advantaged ones given that they pay a low ratio tax compared to their income.
They prescribed such a thing as unfair to the poor Kenyans who are disadvantaged yet they are paying high rates of tax. At the end poorer Kenyans are left with little for rent, food and educating their children. They advised all Kenyans either poor or rich have to pay tax equality in relation to an individual’s income.
Citizens had also the responsibility of reporting any person evading tax payment to government officials in charge. Rich persons and multibillions companies are known evade paying taxes using legal or illegal ways making other people to suffer on their behalf.
“If you have any information considering any investor who is not playing his role of paying tax, you should take action,” Said Elizabeth Wakilo, Chairperson Actionacid Kenya. “It is your duty as a patriot citizen of this county, Kenya to report such individuals to the necessary authorities quickly so that action can be taken against them.”
In addition Kibra residents were enlightened on their role in deciding how tax money is spent holding the government accountable in their role in collecting, allocating, spending it transparently in interest of all Kenya. It year festival is to be hold over the country.
“If we pay good rates of tax to the government, we will enjoy good government benefits of paying tax like good roads, school, health among others,” advised Joan Ledilo, Actionaid official from Mombasa. “Kulipa ushuru ni kujitengemea simnajua?”
The first Good Governance was held back in 2010 with the aim of educating the Nation about referendum which ushered in the promulgation of the new constitution. The second one was in 2012 to educate the public about the significance of carry out a peaceful election and third last year which celebrated 84 women elected in the last general election to senate and the National Assembly.
Residents were entertained by different ranging from dances, drama and music from artists like Dan Aceda, hip pop rapper Rabbit kaka Sunguru, Proff and many upcoming artists.