The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has ordered staff in the domestic taxes department to resume working from its premises with immediate effect.
An internal memo signed by the KRA Commissioner of Domestic Taxes Elizabeth Meyo said that the authority will only allow workers with preexisting conditions to stay home.
“Following the achievement of keeping Covid-19 out of the workplace, all DTB (Domestic Taxes Department) staff is required to resume duty and report to their places of work immediately, except for those preexisting conditions,” Meyo said in an internal memo titled Resumption of duty by staff on leave dated June 11.
It is the same day Treasury CS Ukur Yatani unveiled the Sh3.2 trillion Budget, which KRA is expected to play a significant role in tax collection to fund.
Kenya has recorded 3,594 positive Covid-19 cases as of Sunday, with 1,253 recoveries and 103 deaths.
“KRA has implemented government guidelines to protect staff against the spread of Covid-19, such as social distancing with one-third of staff working in the office as others proceeded on leave,” she said.
A previous memo had asked KRA staff employees to work in two-week shift to avoid the spread of Covid-19. Only a third of the staff was allowed in offices countrywide to limit the spread of coronavirus.
“During the time, DTD staff have upheld safety guidelines and managed to sustain revenue collection," she said.
Meanwhile, KRA reminded Kenyans to file their 2019 annual tax returns before the June 30 deadline.
“As we continue to stay at home so as to avert the spread of Covid-19, it is an opportune time to reflect on the past year of income (2019) and file our tax returns on or before the deadline on June 30, 2020,” Meyo said.
