NGOs want Parliament to reject Finance Bill 2018

The East Africa Tax and Governance Network, a consortium of civil society group has called on the National Assembly to reject the Finance Bill 2018.

The network bringing together organizations among them the Tax justice network Africa, National Taxpayers Association and the Institute of Economic Affairs say several provisions in the bill expose significant inconsistencies in relation to the goal of reducing inequality in Kenya.

The network further says the Finance Bill has too many contradictions to be passed in its current form.

The bill was in July suspended by a Nairobi court after the Kenya Bankers Association and activist Okiya Omtata moved to court to challenge its operability.

According to Omtata, his move to court was to protect Kenyans from exposure to taxes which have not been approved by Parliament, contrary to Article 210 (1) of the Constitution.

Omtata added that the Finance Bill plans to introduce a number of amendments to the tax regime to mobilize revenues to finance the Government’s budget of some Ksh.3trillion.