TRA moves to increase tax awareness through school clubs

What you need to know:

The tax collection agent has initiated 196 clubs throughout the country through which tax education will be passed over to students

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has initiated 196 secondary school tax clubs as part of the wider efforts by the taxman to raise awareness on tax issues in the country.

TRA commissioner general, Mr Charles Kichere, said on Saturday October 21 that 48 clubs from two regions of Dar es Salaam and Coast, have been formed as a starting point in building a generation of tax payers.

Mr Kichere was speaking in Dar es Salaam during the launching of the school club competitions.

“The competitions will see secondary schools, including Loyola, Jitegemee, Benjamin Mkapa and Zanaki compete in tax quizzes organized by TRA,” he said,

According to him, the best student in the tax quiz competition will be awarded a lap top and a cash prize amounting to Sh500, 000.  He said that schools which will hold top four positions will receive Sh1 million, Sh750, 000, Sh500, 000 and Sh300, 000 respectively.

On top of that, schools will be given television sets, printers, computers and laptops depending on their position.

The commissioner noted that Tanzanians had no culture of paying tax and that there was need to instil it among children at an early stage.

He said this would later enable children to embrace the value of paying tax and hence nurture a generation of people who comply with tax in the country.

According to him, since the fifth phase government assumed office it has maintained and valued issues of public education on the importance of paying tax and it’s slowly sinking in the minds of the people.

He said the business community is now using Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFD’s) and that the issue of paying property tax was taken with serious concern by citizens.

This makes it possible for the government to collect enough revenue, he said.