Nairobi — President William Ruto lauded the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for embracing technology in tax collections yesterday.

Reforms have improved the effectiveness and convenience of the tax system, the Head of State said.

He also reiterated his administration's aim of enhancing efficiency in the tax sector.

"What is required is exercise of greater imagination, commitment to national values and principles of governance, and the use of technology and innovation to improve service delivery," Ruto said.

"I note with appreciation that the KRA has been undertaking reforms in this direction, which include the use of technology to integrate the taxpayer and revenue administration systems to allow real-time, automatic exchange of actionable data."

Ruto spoke during the 2023 Taxpayers' Day in Mombasa, which saw several top taxpayers awarded in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

The President said the roles of the recently recruited Revenue Service Assistants will be to mobilise revenue collection.

KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga said KRA has devised strategies aimed at broadening the tax base.

Among the strategies employed are developing and implementing initiatives towards equitable taxation of wealth.

"KRA recognizes the imperative transition from an overreliance on taxing trade, to a more equitable taxation of wealth, ensuring that high-net-worth individuals bear their rightful share of the tax burden," Wattanga said.

"Our strategic focus, therefore, revolves around optimizing wealth taxation and expanding the tax base to promote equity in tax contribution."

He added that KRA has further implemented various strategic initiatives, all geared towards enhancing revenue collection and the attainment of revenue targets.