The National Tax Revenue Movement, curated by the Ministry of Revenues, aims to highlight the role of a just tax revenue collection system in realizing Ethiopia’s goal of becoming a lower-middle-income country by 2025.
ADDIS ABABA (Semonegna.com)–Ethiopia has launched today a National Tax Revenue Movement, aiming at improving tax collection system of the country.
Senior government officials, including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, PhD, and representatives of different parts of the community & society were in attendance during the launching ceremony of the movement, under the theme “Delivering on my Responsibility! Demanding my Rights!” at the African Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa.
In his opening speech, Prime Minister Abiy said that taxation is one of the critical foundations of a country’s civilization and development. He stresses the imperative importance of taxation to achieve long-lasting peace and justice, defeat poverty, build capacity of the country and ensure social security protection. Taxation plays a significant role in such developing countries like Ethiopia to mobilize their own resources for sustainable development, the Premier said.
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The Prime Minister urged tax payers to develop an enhanced mindset and intrinsic motivation of tax payment responsibility through which they demonstrate their love of country and family. He mentioned that Ethiopia’s tax to GDP ratio currently stands at 10.7 percent [which is far below the average tax-to-GDP ratio for Sub-Saharan countries].
The government has allocated 2.3 billion birr to ensure the country’s water, energy, education, health and irrigation development needs, of which 75% is to be covered from tax revenues.
The National Tax Revenue Movement, curated by the Ministry of Revenues, aims to highlight the role of a just tax revenue collection system in realizing Ethiopia’s goal of becoming a lower-middle-income country by 2025.
Following the launching of the National Tax Revenue Movement Fitsum Arega , Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, said, on his Twitter account that, “His Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stressed the value of efficient tax collection for our economy. Reforming and removing brakes from our economy fosters more investment. Thriving businesses employ more, produce more, sell more, contribute more to tax revenues, fueling more growth and jobs.”