Oxfam says that Kenya's super-rich should pay more taxes than the poor. [Photo/ NMG]Oxfam has recommended that Kenya’s super-rich should pay more taxes if the country is to achieve efficient service delivery to the public. In a new report dubbed ‘Taxing for a More Equal Kenya’ to be released on Wednesday (today), Oxfam argues that the government can have enough resources to provide education and health services if those in the super-rich category are fairly taxed."The conversation about tax and how it is used must go back to the principles which inform taxation practices in Kenya. Central to this conversation must be the issue of equity in the development of tax practices and in the utilisation of subsequent tax revenues," said Sumananjali Mohanty, country director, Oxfam, in a statement.The report notes that if Kenya raised its tax to GDP ratio by three percentage points in 2014, from 17.9 percent to 20.9 percent, it would have raised enough additional funds to ensure all Kenyans had access to free quality healthcare.Oxfam is, therefore, calling on the government to deliver on a five-point action plan to tax and spend effectively to ensure a more equal and prosperous future for all Kenyans. They want the personal taxation system to be reformed by including extra bands for top earners who will be taxed higher. This should include a review of wealth taxation, with the aim to introduce an inheritance tax, a wealth tax, and increasing land rates for the highest value land, the Star reports.The organisation has also called for the removal of unproductive tax collection measures, like threats to tax payers, because they end up being counter-productive.Oxfam also want the government to design corporate tax rules and policies that ensure companies pay their fair share of taxes as a measure to redistribute income downwards and meet their obligations to the societies in which they operate and where they generate their profits.The report also want the government to finance and deliver good quality free public services for all Kenyans in order to reduce economic and social inequities and boost sustainable economic growth. Another issue that Oxfam wants to be taken into consideration is gender balance in policy making saying that closing the inequality gap for women should include initiatives such as promoting equal pay, decent work, inheritance rights, access to credit among others. Finally, the report recommend strengthening of the social contract between citizens and the government noting that this should come up with mechanisms that allow and encourage citizen engagement in policy-making and meaningful participation in fiscal issues.

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