OBR: “Building capacity should help to raise awareness taxpayers”

The Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR) organized a two day training for media organisations to explain about the importance of paying tax. It is believed that increasing the capacity to understand the tax-paying system, will lead to increased awareness on the side of taxpayers.

OBR: “Building capacity should help to raise awareness taxpayers” ©Iwacu

“It is unbelievable that there are many identified taxpayers but few declarations”, claims Barnabé Hakizimana, the Program and Monitoring Chief for Internal Taxes in OBR during its presentation. He indicates that the figure of 2013 shows that among 27000 identified taxpayers, only 3000 make their declarations in conformity with the law.

He believes that taxpayers do not respond to the call due to the ignorance and unwillingness. “Perhaps, they are not aware of the importance of paying tax”, he wonders. Edmond Bizabigomba, the Deputy Commissioner General of OBR, mentions that the institution is therefore supporting and communicating with media, because they are the most important channel to sensitize taxpayers through broadcasting programs and articles.

These two days of training complete the training organized in July and September in Ngozi and Bujumbura City Provinces for journalists. “We reaffirm our willingness to have the same interpretation of the laws which regulate Burundian revenue with journalists. That’s the reason why we want to build their capacities. In their turn, they inform the taxpayers”, he points out.
Participants welcome the initiative of OBR to reinforce their capacities: “It is better to learn how OBR put its different laws in practice as the taxpayers always complain about their operational behaviour”, says one of them.

Participants follow the Hakizimana’s presentation about the internal taxes