Rwanda Revenue Authority announced this week it surpassed its target for the first quarter of 2020/21 fiscal year, collecting Rwf371.5 billion. It’s not the first time the tax authority has exceeded its target but to do this in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic is impressive to say the least. It is good news for an economy that is reeling from the devastating impact of Covid-19 and shows that the damage from the pandemic will probably not be as severe as initially feared. Nonetheless, it is too early to have a clear understanding of the consequences of the virus on the economy as its impact continues to unfold. The pandemic struck at a time Rwanda was significantly relying on domestic resources to finance its growth agenda and it will be hoped that RRA’s Q1 performance points to early signs of possible recovery. Yet recovery won’t come easily. It will take years of hard work, belief and patience. Along with reduced economic activity inside the country, the pandemic has come with a myriad of external shocks. In October, the International Monetary Fund projected that Rwanda’s economy will shrink by -0.2 per cent in 2020 owing to the impact of the virus. However, Rwandans have been in a worse place before and have witnessed how hard work, resilience and ownership have always seen us through, time and again. Indeed, it is safe to say that we’ve been shaped by our struggles and successes of the past. Taking ownership of our failings and aspirations has been an integral part of our journey as a people and it remains as relevant today as it was two decades ago. Compliance of taxpayers – even in the context of a pandemic – is indispensable if we are to take our destiny in our own hands. It is absolutely necessary that we continue to instil a culture of responsibility and compliance across generations, including young adults and children, who are the future taxpayers. Young citizens, in particular, should continuously be introduced to such fundamentals of nation-building as tax obligations and budget processes early on. And this is not the role of government and educationists alone. Civil society organisations, including religious denominations, are well placed to help instil civic obligations. As such, we commend the initiative by Coalition Umwana ku Isonga that offers a platform to children to have a say on the national budget formulation process and outline priorities that need funding. This will not only allow young generations to influence decisions related to budgetary allocations but also understand their role as citizens in helping government to acquire the resources necessary to deliver public services.
