All employees of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will be smiling all the way to the bank after its Commissioner General Githii Mburu announced that they would all be rewarded with a double salary.
In a special internal notice dated August 11, Mburu noted that all employees would receive bonuses equivalent to a month's basic salary for helping the organisation surpass its set targets on tax collection.
The revelation came after a review by KRA board and is meant to serve as motivation for future targets.
The commissioner further noted that the National Treasury, headed by CS Ukur Yattani, had approved the bonus payout.
"This improved performance was achieved in the backdrop of a difficult economic environment caused by the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"In line with our policy and practice of recognising and rewarding achievement of performance targets, the board has received approval from the National Treasury to pay a performance bonus equivalent to one month's basic salary to all staff," stated Mburu in the notice.
In the 2020/2021 financial year, KRA surpassed its target for the first time in eight years by more than Ksh16.81 billion to post revenues of Ksh1.669 trillion.
The target for the period had been pegged at Ksh1.652 trillion in the 2021 Budget Policy Statement.
The revenue collection more than doubled in the last 10 years, from Ksh707 billion in the financial year 2011/12 to Kshs 1.669 trillion in the financial year 2020/21. This represented a growth of 136% in the last ten years.
In the month of July 2021, the taxman also surpassed its target recording a 100.2% revenue collection.
"I further congratulate all staff for the achievement of the July 2021 target by collecting Ksh 152,843 million against a target of Ksh152,543 million representing a performance of 100.2%," he added in the notice.
Kenyans have, however, cried foul after Treasury increased taxes for assorted goods and services including Pay As You Earn (PAYE) as well as the introduction of minimum tax.
