[ad_1]
- While
speaking during the National Government Affirmative Action Funds Football
tournament at Kenyatta Sports grounds in Kisumu on September 1st, Mr. Odinga
urged Kenyans not to panic over the hiked fuel prices. - He
assured Kenyans that President Uhuru Kenyatta will stop the 16 percent Value
Added Tax (V.A.T) on petroleum products.
Kenya’s former Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga took Kenyans for a ride over the 16% VAT on fuel.
While
speaking during the National Government Affirmative Action Funds Football
tournament at Kenyatta Sports grounds in Kisumu on September 1st, Mr. Odinga
urged Kenyans not to panic over the hiked fuel prices saying they will soon be
reversed.
playRaila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s historic handshake (Kitui Online)
He
assured Kenyans that President Uhuru Kenyatta will stop the 16 percent Value
Added Tax (V.A.T) on petroleum products.
“The issue of increasing fuel prices cannot
continue, it has to stop,” said
Raila.
“Members of Parliament already made amendments to
the (Finance) Bill and removed the 16% V.A.T, (President) Uhuru will intervene
very soon, just wait and see.”
Before
adding: “You should not panic at
all. Very soon the President will scrap the heavy levy on fuel products. He
listens to public outcry.”
It is not
clear yet what inspired Mr. Odinga to make such bold promises on behalf of
President Kenyatta but he must be wishing he bit his tongue and kept mum.
playPresident Uhuru Kenyatta. (the star)
Reading
from a completely different script, President Uhuru Kenyatta crushed the hopes
of Kenyans who had been banking on him to suspend the implementation of the
unpopular 16 per cent Value Added Tax on petroleum products.
On
Thursday evening, President Kenyatta he rejected the Finance Bill 2018,
effectively condemning Kenyans to buy fuel at a steep price of upwards of Sh130.
The
President’s rejection of the Bill now puts to rest the ongoing stalemate over
the 16 per cent VAT on fuel.
playA fuel station in Kenya. (the star)
Since 1st
September when the 16 per cent levy on petroleum product came into effect,
there has been a countrywide uproar, with public transport players hitting
passengers with a 40 per cent raise on fares.
The 16
per cent Value Added Tax on petroleum products was seen as a litmus test for
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, with the government walking a
tightrope between keeping its commitments to international donors and caving
into the public interest.
[ad_2]
