EASTERN PROVINCE

Nyagatare — Livestock farmers have been cited as the biggest tax evaders in the district.

This was revealed by district officials after mounting a house to house operation in search of tax evaders.

The recovery campaign targeted millions of francs in tax evasion that would boost the district internal revenue, officials say. Stringent measures were employed during the exercise that left scores of businesses of tax defaulters closed.

David Mugisha, the district legal officer, disputed claims by the residents that the tax swoop aimed at extorting money from residents.

  "Their claims are baseless. The truth is that the district wants to establish the records of land owners to help in the processing of land titles yet to be issued in the near future,” he said.

According to officials, other reasons for the swoop were to establish the rightful owners of plots of land in town and identify undeveloped plots.

Sources said the district would reclaim or redistribute plots which have not been developed for the last three years.
During the crackdown it was established there were many plots of land with absent landlords and the district would take a decision on such incidences.

Vice mayor for economic affairs Anselme Rurangwa Majoro warned that livestock farmers who have been evading taxes would also be dealt with.

He observed that his office had established that tax evasion was prevalent among livestock farmers on their livestock farms due to fears that people with big chunks of land would have their plots reduced to 25 hectares to enable landless to acquire land.

"No one will acquire land without first presenting receipts for the past three or four years, this is a principle which has to be abided by those who were given livestock farms”
 Rurangwa said.

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