Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner, Dr. Fred Mugambi
has urged policymakers to embrace research and utilize the findings for public decision
making to enable Africa realizes its fiscal policy goals.
Dr. Mugambi, who heads the KRA training school -Kenya School
of Revenue Administration (KESRA), said that research should be well done and
their findings should not end up in shelves but used as the baseline for making
public decisions.
“Researches are used to explain situations like trends in
economic growth and G.D.P ratios, prove theories and find solutions to problems
like illicit financial flows,” said Commissioner Mugambi.
He also highlighted three major challenges hindering research
in Africa that comprises funding, alignment and sequencing of research to
Africa’s problems and failure to utilize findings in public decision-making.
The Commissioner was speaking during the opening of the 2 nd
KESRA Research Conference at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies that brought
together revenue administrators, policymakers, researchers and scholars from
various African countries.
The theme of the conference is “embracing tax and custom reforms
for trade facilitation.”
University of Nairobi Associate Professor in the School of
Business Dr. X.N Iraki noted that most African countries have not budgeted for
research at national levels. He said research is an investment that needs to
take seriously in order to solve financial problems.
“Few doctorate students currently in universities are
pursuing research in taxation. There needs to be research such as tax
incentives and new taxes like should dowry payment be taxed, optimal tax
rates,” said Dr. Iraki.
He congratulated KESRA for taking up the challenge of
agitating for fiscal policy management related research in the continent.
The KESRA research conference is aimed at creating a
platform for participants to share thoughts on research trajection in the
region and to influence African tax agenda and create thought leaders in fiscal
management in the continent.
East and Southern Africa, World Customs Organization (WCO)
representative Mr. Lary Liza encouraged researchers to relook at emerging trends
in technology such as block chain and artificial intelligence to enhance
taxation and Customs processes, and how to fully utilize the newly established
Africa Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) officer
Wilfred Okemwa said more research should be done on automation and systems
integration as well as bringing to the tax brackets the small and medium
enterprises.