State advised on integrating tax lessons in schools

SUNDAY NEWS Reporter in Songea

TAX payment lessons should be integrated in schools, colleges and universities in the country to help students cultivate a culture of paying tax voluntarily.

This call was made here on Friday by a Lecturer at the ...

Dar es Salaam based Institute of Tax Administration, Emmanuel Masalu, while winding up a two-day debate for secondary school students in Ruvuma Region, held at the Songea Municipal Council Hall.

Masalu said it was important to impart knowledge to students on the significance of paying tax because they are not only tax payers, but are the potential tax administrators.

“We need to help build a culture of paying tax among our students and this will certainly remind them that paying tax is a responsibility and not a burden.

They should know that efficient allocation of resources to maximise social welfare largely depends on effective tax collection,” he said.

Masalu also reminded the students to demand for receipts whenever they buy any product or acquire services. Dubbed JATA Majimaji Selebuka Debate, the event attracted at least 12 different schools in the region.

The young boys and girls were engaged in a close battle, competing for top honours and awards from event organisers, Songea-Mississippi (SOMI) in collaboration with JICA Alumni Association of Tanzania (JATA).

During the debate session, it proved that President John Magufuli’s drive in enforcing tax payment was drilling down well, as students demonstrated great maturity, ability and passion in supporting the move.

Students displayed great ability in supporting the motion proposed by Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) on the theme ‘Payment of tax is inevitable for our national development’.

The emphasis was on critical thinking, effective communication, independent research and teamwork and after two days of exhilarating competition, De Paul Secondary School emerged overall winners, defending the award they won last year. De Paul topped the bill with 42.6 points awarded by a panel of judges, taking home a trophy, iPad and 200,000/-.

The second place went to Songea Girls after collecting 41.6 points, walking away with a trophy, iPad and 150,000/-, while St Agnes Chipole Secondary School finished third after collecting 41.2 points.

They were awarded a trophy, iPad and 100,000/- On top of that, teachers from the three top schools were each awarded 50,000/-.

The Best Speaker award went to Margret Gama from Songea Girls; second place went to Sebastiano Lubinda from Kigonsera Secondary, while Monica Shirima from De Paul was third. A total of 131 students competed in the first round and the best schools entered the final round on Friday.

The captivating debate attracted students from Agustino Secondary, who fielded 10 participants, De Paul had 25, Londoni (12), Msamala (15), St Agnes Chipole (20), Ruvuma Secondary (13), Songea Girls (26), Mashujaaa (10), Kigonsera (10) Mfaranyaki Secondary (29), Bomba Mbili Secondary and Emmanuel Nchimbi Secondary had entered 17 and 11 participants respectively. Debating started in schools where inter-class competition took place and then each school selected a cream of best students to represent them in the finals.

A form six student from Emmanuel Nchimbi Secondary, Hussein Said, was so adamant on tax collection, saying ‘no tax simply means no development’. He encouraged Tanzanians to voluntarily cultivate a habit of paying tax.

A form four student at De Paul Secondary, who are the event’s defending champions, Monica Shirima spoke about women empowerment, saying any such effort will be useless if there was no funds to support women in development programmes.

The debate was organised as part of activities lined up for the third edition of the annual Majimaji Selebuka Festival. Opening the event, Songea District Commissioner (DC), Pololeti Mgema lauded the organisers, saying it is high time the country revived such active debates because they help develops skills and knowledge that assist students become elite.

“It is important these kinds of debates be staged countrywide, because it helps students to develop civic and political identity.

It helps students to develop a sense of ownership of the world and a sense of empowerment, as they will know specific domestic and global issues and the ways in which the government can solve our generation’s problems,” he said.