The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) says the newly recruited Revenue Service Tax Assistants have helped raise 180.6 million in additional revenue collections.

KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga told the Parliamentary Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, that the tax assistants were pivotal in identifying more than 20,500 unregistered taxpayers and bringing an additional 10,515 taxpayers into compliance with various tax obligations.

“The recently recruited KRA Revenue Assistants have made significant progress in expanding the tax base and enhancing revenue mobilization across the country,” KRA stated.

“The field officers have played a crucial role in supporting KRA’s efforts to collect additional revenue and tackle tax evasion,” it added.

The tax man disclosed it had equipped their field officers with paramilitary training to enable them cope with the physical nature of their work and to instill discipline, dedication, perseverance, courage, and commitment in their service to the citizens.

The officers also received technical training on value-added tax, customs, and KRA business systems to enhance their effectiveness and be able to tackle the diverse taxpayers together with complex tax evasion schemes.