The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced plans to roll out an online chatbot to support small businesses by providing them with necessary tax-related information.
George Obell, the Micro and Small Taxpayers Department Commissioner, said the chatbot will seek to answer all the questions the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) owners may have as far as taxes are concerned.
"This chatbot will answer the many questions that these MSME taxpayers may have regarding tax compliance and will complement the taxpayer sensitisation programme that KRA is currently implementing countrywide," said Obell, who spoke during an MSME roundtable engagement in Nairobi.
He added, “KRA is already building a tax system that will simplify registration, filing, and payment of taxation by MSMEs. We are committed to facilitating MSMEs to voluntarily meet their tax obligations while creating an equitable tax system for all taxpayers.”
This move is part of the taxman's plan to highlight the MSMEs' role in economic growth, with the system set to simplify tax processes for the sector and thus increasing their contribution to overall revenue collection.
The Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) Chairman, James Mureu, on his part, lauded KRA for setting up his department, asserting that it had demonstrated the government's cognisance of MSMEs.
He also revealed that the formation of the department affirmed the value of MSMEs within the national tax framework.
"We see KRA as a strategic partner and enabler we can bank on in our journey towards supporting MSMEs," Mureu stated.
"We need to have frank dialogue and continued collaboration to design policies that unlock the potential of emerging enterprises to contribute to Kenya’s economic prosperity."
The roundtable event brought together stakeholders who focused on the issues of interest in MSMEs to improve tax compliance in the industry.
This particular discussion ended with the KRA being urged to move beyond enforcement and actively support the growth of MSMEs in the country.
KRA concluded with KRA reaffirming its mission to continue engaging different stakeholders in the sector through similar roundtables to understand the unique challenges they face to co-create solutions that promote ease of doing business and voluntary compliance.
