Finance Executive Charles Kerich who officially presented the county’s 2018/2019 budget on Tuesday said that Nairobi is working on more measures to ensure increased revenue collection that dropped from Sh12billion to Sh8billion in the last financial year/CFM NEWS
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 26 – Supermarkets, private parking premises and gambling firms will now be charged new levies by the Nairobi County Government as part of measures to boost revenue collection.
Finance Executive Charles Kerich who officially presented the county’s 2018/2019 budget on Tuesday said that Nairobi is working on more measures to ensure increased revenue collection that dropped from Sh12billion to Sh8billion in the last financial year.
Supermarkets charging customers for carrier bags will have to incur extra costs in the county’s new revenue collection strategy.
“It is unfair for Nairobi residents to be charged for shopping bags. Supermarkets that charge shoppers for bags will be required to pay a fee,” he said.
He said private parking premises at shopping malls and hospitals will also be charged an extra fee.
“Nairobi residents are being subjected to parking charges in private spaces and I will be proposing a fee to those premises that charge their customers hourly parking rates,” he said.
City Hall will also seek to give incentives to private players who wish to develop new parking bays outside their premises in order to increase the total number of parking slots available and generate revenue.
Kerich further said despite gambling, gaming and lotteries being devolved functions under the Constitution, the county hasn’t received its fair share from the sector saying he will introduce a fee for the same.
Kerich attributed the drop in revenue collection in the last financial year to the long electioneering period.
The county is also targeting to net more revenue from building plans, outdoor advertising with new charges expected upwards.
The budget which was slashed by Sh2billion will see Sh21.1billion spent on recurrent expenditure and Sh10.83billion on development.
The county which is set to receive Sh16.5 billion from the national government targets to collect Sh15 billion which Kerich admitted will not be easy to achieve.
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