Revenue Minister Says Development Cannot Be Acheived Without Augmenting Revenue

Addis Ababa, May 20(ENA)-- Revenue Vice Minister said sustainable development could be not be acheived without augmenting domestic revenue.

Opening here on Thursday a 10-day Basic Management Training organized for senior executives of the ministry, the Vice Minister, Tezera Wodajo said strengthening the revenue authority provides opportunities for economic development and growth.

Tezera said streamlining and improving tax administration polices, procedures, improving staff discipline and ethics, obtaining skilled professionals, providing them with appropriate training, rewarding them adequately and creating a motivating work environment, are some of the objectives of strengthening revenue administration.

The government has tried to rationalize tax structure and increase revenue, broaden the tax base, improve equity, enhance and ensure adequate incentives for investment, Tezera said.

The Vice Minister said the Ministry of Revenue is not strong in administration capacity as it lacks formal training and needs to significantly strengthen its tax administration in the shortest time possible.

Having assessed the training needs, the US department of Treasury has planned to offer a series of trainings including the current one, he said.

The trainees will be given orientation on tocis of tax review, tax audit, implementation of tax regulations and laws and modernizing tax payment, organizers said.