Six universities have advanced to the final day of the students' tax debate, a competition initiated by the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) with the aim of raising awareness about taxation, as part of the 21st Taxpayers Appreciation Month celebrations.

This competition was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to provide a platform for both private and public university students to discuss taxation in Rwanda in a global context.

During the first round of debates that brought together 13 participating universities on Wednesday, November 1st, each selected a topic from the provided list on taxation and prepared a presentation. Subsequently, a panel of judges asked various questions.

The judges evaluated presentation skills, content, communication skills, teamwork, persuasive abilities, innovation, and creativity.

The six universities that made it to the final are Kepler College, which secured the first place with a score of 87.5 percent, followed by ULK with 77.8 percent, UNILAK with 74 percent, University of Kigali with 71 percent, ILPD with 70.5 percent, and East African University of Rwanda with 70 percent.

The other participants and their respective rankings are ICK, INES Ruhengeri, University of Rwanda, ISPG, Kibogora Polytechnics, Institut Polytechnique de Byumba, and AUCA, which ranked last.

Universities were provided with nine topics covering a range of subjects, including What is taxation, Why Governments tax, Taxation history, Canons of taxation, Typologies of Rwanda tax systems, How to avoid unnecessary large tax bills, Tax policy, suggestions for needed tax reforms, Contribution of taxes and duties to the national budget, and strategies to improve this ratio. Another topic focused on the Rwanda taxation system as a self-assessment system, with students providing commentary and highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.

Irisa Sonia, a student majoring in Business and Information Technology at the University of Kigali, emphasized the role of taxes and the reasons for choosing their topic, 'Contribution of taxes and duties to the national budget: strategies to keep improving this ratio.'

“We see many things that come from the government, and taxation is the main source of revenue, funding projects like roads and hospitals. Rwanda is a developing country with ambitious goals like Vision 2050. To achieve these goals, resources are required, but simply increasing taxes is not the solution; improving compliance is,” she explained.

She acknowledged the preparation of their competitors and expressed her hopes of winning the competition or, if not, gaining valuable experience.

Kenny Habuwiwe, a student in Communications in Business at Kepler College, expressed his aspirations to succeed.

“We spent a significant amount of time studying the instructions with guidance from our coaches to gain a deep understanding of the topic. We chose a subject we were well-informed about and prepared as a team, dividing tasks to delve into it,” he said.

They are optimistic about their chances and are committed to continuing their efforts.

The final round of debates is scheduled for Thursday, November 2nd, 2023 with two teams debating a single topic.

The top three winners will receive cash prizes at the Grand Award Event of TAM2023 at Intare Conference Arena, on November 10, 2023. The winner will be awarded Frw 1,000,000, the first runner-up Frw 700,000, and the second runner-up Frw 500,000, excluding applicable taxes.