Kepler College emerged as the winner of the RRA students' debate on taxation, which was held in celebration of Taxpayers’ Appreciation Month.

The 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. The aim of this debate was to raise tax awareness among the young generation following the recent tax reforms.

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A total of 13 universities participated, with only six advancing to the final round. In the culmination of this event, two teams representing their respective institutions engaged in a spirited debate on a designated topic, while a panel of judges assessed their performances.

Kepler College emerged as the champion, securing an impressive score of 85.3 percent. The University of Kigali secured second place with a score of 79.9 percent, while Kigali Independent University (ULK) claimed the third spot with a score of 79.3 percent.

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The top three winners will be officially honored at the Grand Event of Taxpayers Appreciation Month, scheduled to be held at Intare Conference Arena on November 10.

The champion will receive a cash price Rwf1 million, the first runners-up will get Rwf 700,000, while the second runners-up Rwf500,000, with tax obligations duly excluded.

Jean Paulin Uwitonze, the Assistant Commissioner for Taxpayer Services and Communications at RRA, expressed his appreciation for the 13 participating universities and congratulated Kepler College for their noteworthy achievement.

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"Now that tax laws have changed in the just-concluded tax reforms, along with institutional reforms earlier this year, there's a need to raise awareness among all categories of our audience, and university students are part of them. This is the first debate held on taxation, but we hope to continue organizing them as these students are soon graduating and becoming either entrepreneurs or employees somewhere. In either way, knowledge of taxation can be very useful," he said.

"I strongly encourage you to delve deeper into the subject matter, going beyond the scope of our discussion here, and consider comprehensive studies of tax laws and regulations. It is possible that, in the coming years, your enhanced knowledge could bring about significant innovations in the field of taxation," he added.

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Kenny Habuwiwe, a student in Communications in Business at Kepler College, expressed the dedication and effort invested in their rigorous debate preparation. He competed alongside Philomène Kamikazi and Innocent Kabera.

"This moment signifies a unique opportunity to enhance our comprehension of taxation, knowledge that promises to be of immense value in our future endeavors. For instance, I acquired insights into immovable property tax, which will undoubtedly prove indispensable in my professional journey, whether as a compliant taxpayer or a responsible entrepreneur," he noted.

Allen Mukashema, representing Kigali Independent University (ULK), conveyed her profound joy at securing the third place in the competition, a testament to their diligence in debate preparation.

"We undertook an exhaustive exploration of various topics and accumulated a wealth of information from diverse sources. As the future leaders of our nation, we are resolute in leveraging this knowledge for the greater good in the long run," she emphasized.

Among the six finalists, ILPD secured a score of 76.5 percent, while East African University of Rwanda and INILAK posted scores of 71.3 percent and 69.9 percent, respectively, highlighting the caliber of the competition's participants.

The other participating universities that didn’t make it to the final round are ICK, INES Ruhengeri, University of Rwanda, ISPG, Kibogora Polytechnics, Institut Polytechnique de Byumba, and AUCA. All contributed to the vibrancy and intellectual depth of this pioneering debate on taxation.

The 21st taxpayers' appreciation event is celebrated under the theme "Request for EBM Receipt to Build Rwanda."