Kenya: Producers want government to pass key trade bills
They are the Trade Licensing bill, Revenue Administration bill, Finance bill, Public Participation bill and Rating bill.
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers said the move will bring in tune taxes, promote intra-county trade and attract investments.
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Kiprono Kittony said high taxes have hindered intra-county trade. He said the business community and members of the public must be involved in the formulation of budgets and taxes in the counties, to ensure their views are captured.
Kenya lost giant factories and flower firms to regional investor-friendly countries due to high costs of operation. Early this month, tyre maker Sameer announced that it will shut its Nairobi factory tomorrow citing cheap imports that make it uncompetitive because of the high cost of production locally. Others that have closed shop over the last two years include chocolate firm Cadbury and battery maker Eveready.
Naivasha-based giant flower farm Oserian plans to sack 400 workers citing low demand for the commodity from Europe and high production costs.
The Kenya Flower Council said earlier this year that most flower farm companies are relocating to Ethiopia where the business policies favour investors.
Read more at The Star