BUJUMBURA August 3rd (ABP) – The fight against tax and customs fraud in Burundi was at the center of discussions in a one-day workshop held in Bujumbura on Thursday by the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR).
According to the Director of Communication at the OBR, Mr. Stanislas Ngendakumana, that authority is aware that journalists are key partners in strengthening tax compliance, reason why their awareness of that very specific area remains a priority, to disseminate to public opinion a better understanding of the activities of the OBR in general and adequate media coverage of activities related to the fight against tax and customs fraud in particular.
The workshop was part of the annual partner awareness plan. He said that it demonstrates the importance of the OBR for collaboration with information professionals. The OBR, he said, is convinced that all the media in Burundi are an essential link between the tax administration and the taxpayers, he said.
As a result of that workshop, the OBR expects more reports on fraud in the sense of discouraging perpetrators and accomplices. According to Mr. Ngendakumana, it will be the added value of that workshop, a proof of a strong interest and a greater sensitivity of the media professionals on the misdeeds and the dangers of tax evasion in the country.
The participants in that workshop recommended, among other things, to work in synergy while reporting, as part of the fight against tax and customs fraud. They also expressed the desire to see journalists specialize, so that everyone can have their area of expertise.
