Rwanda Revenue Authority has sponsored a high school football competition from 28 October to 01 November 2019 as part of celebrations of the 17^th Taxpayers’ Appreciation day.

Participants in the league are nine secondary schools namely Lycee de Kigali, Camp Kigali, International technical School, Petit Seminaire rwesero, Hamdan Bin Rachid secondary School, ETO Nyamata, APE Rugunga, Kagarama Secondary school and APAER-Rusororo.

The tournament aims at raising awareness of taxes and its importance among young students of secondary schools and the general public, football lovers.

Dr. Ndayambaje Irenee, Director General of Rwanda Education Board commended Rwanda Revenue Authority for sponsoring the tournament. He said that the curriculum is knowledge based and is intended to train learners not to be good students but to become better citizens, adding value to the economy of the country by paying taxes.

“In the education perspective, we find this tournament very important in two ways: the first is that, as the main message is to sensitize our students to know that paying taxes is necessary, and mainly that they must ask for an EBM receipt, it’s a way to prepare our children to become Rwandans that fulfill their duties, and as you know students deliver message in a quicker way, in their families, their neighborhood and wherever they go,” he stated.

Dr. Ndayambaje also noted that in their curriculum, beside knowledge and its application, their also learn of values which include integrity, and being obedient to way the laws provide.

According to the director general of REB, the competition offers a chance to anchor the message vital to the citizens and especially for students to be able to take it and spread it to the word as good ambassadors of taxes. He said: “as a students, besides getting the massage, the application or practice is needed, when we link it especially to paying taxes and receiving invoices.

Emery Batayika, the Deputy Commissioner for Human resources at RRA, said that the competition is part of activities to mark the taxpayers’ appreciation day, preparing students to become more useful citizens who return due taxes and contribute to the revenue collection by asking for EBM invoices whenever they make purchases.