On 20^th October, 2023, Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) recognized the most compliant taxpayers in the Southern Province during a celebration which was held in Nyamasheke District.

The event is part of the ongoing activities to mark the Taxpayers’ Appreciation Month 2023 organized with the objective of presenting to the public the achievements financed by collected taxes in the 2022/2023 fiscal year and enhancing voluntary tax compliance among others.

In the Western Province, a total of nine taxpayers were recognized including one best taxpayer selected at the district level among 7 districts of the Western province, one outstanding local administrative entity taxpayer and a best taxpayer in issuing EBM. Also, the best buyer who requested a lot of EBM invoices was recognized.

The recognized best taxpayers include; Pfunda Tea Company Ltd from Rubavu district, Shagasha Tea Company from Rusizi district, Nyungwe Management Company Ltd from Nyamasheke district, Inkunga Finance Plc from Karongi district, Rubavu Exploitation and Trading Company Ltd from Rutsiro district, Ngororero Mining Company Ltd from Ngororero district and Theogene Ntabahejeje from Nyabihu district. 

In addition to this, UBUNTU HOUSE Ltd and BOULANGERIE ET ALIMENTATION DE GISENYI Ltd emerged as the best local administrative entity and the best EBM compliant taxpayers respectively.

Gatango Felicien, a resident from Nyamasheke district was recognized as the best buyer who requested a lot of EBM invoices. He managed to request for 182 invoices equivalent to 143,070 Rwf in the 2022/2023 fiscal year.

Commenting on this year’s Taxpayer Appreciation month’s theme: “Request for EBM invoice to build Rwanda”, the RRA Commissioner General, Bizimana Ruganintwali Pascal, mentioned that since 2013 when the Electronic Invoicing System known as EBM, revenue collections have gradually grown.

“When we introduced EBM (Electronic Billing Machine) in 2013, we collected 255 billion Rwf of the Value Added Taxes (VAT). In the concluded fiscal year of 2022/2023, the VAT collections have almost tripled since we managed to reach 659 billion Rwf”, noted Bizimana.

“Considering the Income tax, when the EBM started, we collected about 170 billion Rwf, but now we can collect more than 500 billion Rwf. By this, we want to emphasize on EBM as a useful tool which was established to help taxpayers in tax collections and we therefore urge all taxpayers to comply with it in order to uplift the country’s development”, he added.  

Mr Bizimana also said that the Government of Rwanda has put in place different initiatives in an effort to ease the burden of taxpayers and improving the level of services given to them. He mentioned the recent amendments made in different tax-related laws and the reforms conducted in RRA especially the digitalization of most of the services needed by taxpayers.

The Taxpayers’ Appreciation Month in Western Province was also graced by the Western Province Governor Dushimimana Lambert and Nkurunziza Ernest, the chairperson of the Private Sector Federation in the Province.

In his remarks, Mr Nkurunziza encouraged all the taxpayers to strive for better performance by complying with all tax and revenues requirements.