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NAIROBI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has set a target of earning some 10 billion Kenyan Shillings (about 100 million U.S. dollars) in 2018 from tax recovery, officials said on Monday.

Edward Karanja, senior assistant commissioner of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), told journalists in Nairobi that last year about 50 million dollars were recovered after over 200 people involved in various tax evasion schemes were prosecuted.

"We have enhanced prosecution led investigations with a view to secure custodial sentences and recover taxes amounting to 100 million dollars in 2018," Karanja said.

Karanja said that most of the funds will be recovered from individuals who falsify records using fake invoice, omit income on tax returns or have under-declared their income in order to lower their tax obligation.

The KRA official said that the government is now prioritizing tax recovery for criminals convicted of tax evasion.

Terra Saidimu, chief manager and risk management expert of intelligence and strategic operations at KRA said the government will adopt a multi-agency approach to fight tax and other financial crimes.

He observed that the KRA has a fully fledged intelligence and strategic operations department charged with collection of financial intelligence to ensure that it can track all purchases made with proceeds of financial crime.

Saidimu said that Kenya has signed mutual legal assistance and information exchange programs with a number of countries to assist in the tracking of assets acquired from financial and tax crimes.