By: T’soloane Mohlomi
The Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL) has launched the “Mphahlole Campaign” which is an initiative aimed at raising awareness of RSL’s services and how they can be easily accessed by the greater population.
In the auspices of the tax collectors 20thAnnivessary where the entity launched various campaigns which are aimed to give back to the community, with this campaign the RSL plans to further engage the public and enlighten them on tax related issues, while also showing them how revenues services have been simplified for their convenience.
With this noble intention, every Friday the entity will travel along the lengths and breaths of the country going out in far to reach places educating current and potential tax payers about the importance of tax for the country and ensuring that people become “tax literate.”
Speaking at the official launch Revenue Services Lesotho, Commissioner General, Mrs ‘Mathabo Mokoko said tax collection was a vital part of the community as with a fiscal backing it ensured that the government achieved its mandated goals, objectives which overall aim to improve the lives of Basotho and further stimulate the economy.
Mrs Mokoko said with this campaign they set out to target all members of the community especially the marginalized people with disadvantaged backgrounds in order to ensure that everybody had sufficient information and access to RSL’s services.
She explained that as the RSL’s role & responsibility was a social one they were grateful for the support they continuously received from media and the nation at large in the dissemination of their service package.
“Ladies and gentlemen we’re grateful for this beautiful day which the Lord has created, a day in which a new baby is born. Today gladly launch Mphahlolle. Mphahlolle as the name suggests when literally translated means to remove an impediment from ones eye to enable them to see clearly, everyday we aim to demystify the views of Basotho every single day.
“The main reason why we are doing it is because we want to partner with every single member of the community in the country. Every single taxpayer whether local or international, because we are all here for one cause to see to it that Lesotho and its people remain beautiful and safe, and that we are able to fulfil all our mandated obligations through our government, and also our international obligation as well.
“When we do this we want to ensure that Basotho walk this journey hand in hand with us.I don’t see what could possibly hinder us, because we have learnt that there are various methods of speaking with Basotho. Although sometime we do create means of communication it has come to our attention that some individuals do not hear us.
“What we’re going to do now while utilizing all platforms at our disposal is to go out to the people because we want to ensure that every single Mosotho understands the importance of tax, this regardless of whether they are a tax payer or not.
“I emphasise this issue because we are going to ensure that in every RSL process we integrate live events whereby whether you are already a tax payer or not, when a child is born at the hospital we immediately say hello future tax payer,” she said.
In addition the RSL Commissioner General said they wanted to instil and teach children from a young age the importance of tax, as everything that happens in the country begins with tax, it was through adequate tax collection that essential services reached the community. She said the safety that a little girl feels when travelling in a taxi in the morning when going to school without the fear of being kidnapped, because of the security provided by the security agencies, was because of the RSL and the tax it collected.
“Tax is not about the RSL; tax is about this country, making sure that every single person is able to get the basic needs provided by government. Everybody needs to understand that government is able to create an enabling environment whereby we are able to sleep peacefully at night because the taxes make it possible for Dr Matlanyane to ensure all basic needs are financed.
“We are not the only ones solely financing them, it is Basotho in general, our international partners, our stakeholders, out traders who are Basotho and those who are not. It is therefore important that they understand all their obligations. Every Friday from now on we are going to paint the town orange and make tax fun.”