Manufacturers fault City Hall over proposed higher levies
What you need to know:
KAM poke holes in the upward review of charged for occupation certificates, solid waste management charges, slaughter services, health inspection, registration of premises license for leather sector, transport and medical examination certificate.
- Lobby officials present proposals to Assembly budget committee.
The proposed new charges by City Hall continue to attract opposition with Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) faulting and calling for scrapping of some of the levies.
The association urged the county government to scrap some of the charges arguing they will overburden the business community and residents.
KAM poked holes in the upward review of charged for occupation certificates, solid waste management charges, slaughter services, health inspection, registration of premises license for leather sector, transport and medical examination certificate.
Head of Membership Development at KAM, Mr Tobias Alando, urged the county government to abolish the new occupation certificate charges for professional bodies of between Sh6,000 and Sh20,000.
He also asked the county to maintain the 2018 charges for buildings which was at Sh5,000 but has now been increased to between Sh15,000 and Sh30, 000 depending on the size.
Another area of contention is the new charges for insurance companies of between Sh12,000 and Sh25,000 which KAM wants lowered to the previous ones of between Sh4,500 and Sh12, 000.
“The upward review of the charges will have a huge implication on the cost of doing business to the affected parties and therefore we want the status quo to remain,” said Mr Alando.
He was speaking on Thursday during a presentation before Nairobi County Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee over the Nairobi City County Finance Bill 2019 at City Hall.
Mr Alando also called for the scrapping of tipping charges which are between Sh600 and Sh2,000 per ton depending on the type of waste.
This is in addition to deleting the proposed solid waste management levies for apartments and offices which are as high as Sh60,000.
“Asking an organisation to pay up to Sh60,000 for solid waste management, among other charges, is a burden that most businesses may find too heavy,” he said.
He faulted City Hall for leaving garbage collection to private companies saying the county should invest in its own garbage collection mechanisms to safeguard Nairobi residents from exploitation and poor service by the collectors.
KAM regional coordinator for Nairobi, Mr Robert Juma, said City Hall should reduce slaughter services charge for cattle, sheep and goats and poultry from Sh500, 200 and Sh50 to Sh200, Sh70 and Sh20 respectively.
On health inspection fee, he called for the county to revert to the 2015 charges which were Sh300 for cows, Sh50 for sheep and goats, Sh100 for pigs and Sh200 per flock of poultry as opposed to the proposed Sh500, Sh150, Sh250 and Sh25 per bird respectively.
