Inability to tackle corruption and high taxes affecting Kenya’s growth

0
680
(From left) Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi and KEPSA Chair Flora Mutahi during the KEPSA meeting with Senate Speaker and Senate Liaison Committee in Mombasa./COURTESY

The inability to tackle corruption, high taxes, bribery, and the complexity of tax administration and regulation are among the factors pulling down Kenya’s ranking in global competitiveness.

Speaking in Mombasa during the seventh edition of the Senate Liaison Committee roundtable with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), KEPSA Chair Flora Mutahi also mentioned weak access to affordable financing for SMEs, inefficient government bureaucracy, inadequate supply of infrastructure, inflation, crime, and theft as other factors.

“Senate remains crucial in policy and legislative entrepreneurship that are critical in improving the country and county’s ease of doing business, competitiveness, inclusive growth, and shared prosperity said the KEPSA Chair.

“We feel deeply that the Senate should be alive to these real issues as it has a direct role it can play to address these challenges. Our partnership with Senate is to shine a spotlight on these issues and help the legislators to embrace a business lens in their legislative work,” she added.

The KEPSA Chair noted that the Alliance had been engaging with various Departmental Committees to improve the working environment in the country.

“The private sector is the engine for growth for any economy and therefore they need to have an enabling environment to do so and have the right amount of investment,” said Flora Mutahi.

Senate Liaison Committee with KEPSA members./COURTESY

Speaking at the event, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said the partnership between the Senate and the private sector has over the years grown to be an avenue for promoting the growth of private enterprises by creating a platform for voicing emergent concerns.

“The roundtable also serves as a basis for inclusive consultations and dialogue by ensuring that appropriate consensus is achieved around legislative and oversight guidelines that are necessary for having a conducive and thriving environment for business,” said Speaker Kingi.

Kingi said that the Senate will continue engaging with KEPSA and all other partners to improve the country’s economy.

“Whereas we have recorded steady progress on the legislative front, the general consensus is that we should now ensure that the enacted laws enhance competitiveness and translate to jobs and income for Kenyans,” said Speaker Kingi.

Comments

comments