Small-scale traders in Trans Nzoia County have a reason to smile after the county government reduced daily levies.
Daily levies for small-scale traders like mama mboga (grocers) and shoe shiners, among others, have been reduced from Sh40 to Sh20 per day, the County Executive Committee Member for Trade and Industry Cap Stanley Kirui told Nation.Africa on Wednesday.
Already, the devolved unit has effected the reduction to cushion the traders amid the harsh economic times ravaging the country.
The congested boda boda transport sector is the biggest beneficiary of the changes, with the cost of licence stickers reduced from Sh3,600 to Sh500 per year.
Transport lorries ratings have also been reduced from Sh1,600 to Sh1,200 per trip while offloading.
Own source revenue
The CEC said the move will in the end increase own source revenue by ensuring affordable tax levies for business people.
“We have been losing a lot of money because traders have been evading paying taxes by bribing the collectors, but now we are making it affordable to ensure all traders pay their levies,” opined Mr Kirui.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya buying fish from a trader in Kitale town. The devolved unit has effected the reduction of levies to cushion traders from the harsh economic times ravaging the country. The congested boda boda transport sector is the biggest beneficiary of the changes, with the cost of licence stickers reduced from Sh3,600 to Sh500 per year.
The devolved unit has also reduced the fees for single business permits and liquor licenses.
“Already, we have issued over 700 liquor licences as compared to only 400 the last financial year. This is a great move to maximise our own source revenue ability,” the county executive member said.
“We have already collected more than Sh12 million from single business permits already registered compared to last financial year. We have made our levies reasonable and traders are paying up to over 101 percent by now,” he stated.
Natembeya’s target
Governor Natembeya’s administration aims to collect more than Sh600 million by the end of this financial year, targeting to raise it to Sh700 million in the next financial year.
Mr Natembeya has set a tax projection target of Sh1 billion annually in five years.
The county government is currently completing a modern business park that will accommodate more than 3,500 traders, as part of part of Mr Natembeya’s ambitious face-lift programme for Kitale town.
“We are also putting up a modern market and setting up stalls for our traders. We will give our traders a conducive environment for businesses and raise our revenue target,” said Mr Kirui.
The county government is also constructing a market at the Railway Grounds after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Railway Corporation.
Once completed, the Railway market will house more than 2,000 traders. BY DAILY NATION