As Kenyans continue to lament the high cost of living, which was recently worsened by the Finance Bill 2018 that slapped an eight percent tax on petroleum products, the government plans to use new technology when it comes to matters tax collection.
The new technology will be implemented and used to crackdown on tax cheats.
President Uhuru Kenyatta Wednesday directed KRA to use the Sh3 billion biometric data listing kit that will collect citizens’ details like ear, eye and voice alongside satellite details of their homes to locate and smoke out tax cheats.
Today I presided over the annual #TaxpayersDay2018, in recognition of compliant and diligent taxpayers. There is need for us to pay a lot more attention to both tax payers and tax collectors, because our Nation’s future lies in their hands @HKRotich @KRACorporate pic.twitter.com/CaVUbgSN9O
— Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) October 31, 2018
“The use of technology as an enabler is an immediate necessity and KRA must incorporate cutting edge technology in all aspects of its operations from customer care to detection of tax evasion. Use of big data to detect revenue trends and to detect leakages should be the norm,” said Mr Kenyatta during the KRA 2018 Taxpayers’ Day in Nairobi that recognizes compliant taxpayers countrywide.
“I therefore expect that KRA will leverage the benefits of the soon to be rolled out National Integrated Identity Management System as another tool in their arsenal.”
Kenya plans to conduct a fresh mass registration this year using the proposed National Integrated Identity Management System that will be a single source of personal information of all Kenyans and registered foreigners.
Under the system adults applying for documents such as IDs will be required to provide additional information about their location, including land reference number, plot number or house number.
The system will also see the introduction of Global Positioning System (GPS) co-ordinates in the registration of persons, enabling the tracking of citizens’ location via satellite.
Unique personal attributes such as fingerprints, hand and earlobe geometry, retina and iris patterns and voice waves will be kept in the digital database and physical form.
ICT secretary Joe Mucheru had early October said the registration will help improve planning, delivery of social services and security in the country.
“The registration process will start this year. It will be conducted by the Interior ministry and will start at the sub-location level,” Mr Mucheru had said, adding that 45 million Kenyans will be registered biometrically so that everyone will have a single and unique identity.