NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 9 – The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KMA)’s have sought for the intervention of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula to have friendly laws for business operations in the country.
KAM says that harmonization of the existing legislative and regulatory statutes geared towards easing compliance in the business sector.
Speaking during a courtesy call to the Speaker of the National Assembly Rt. Hon. Moses Wetang’ula on Thursday, KMA’s Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Anthony Mwangi expressed concerns on the sector’s taxation pressure.
He said that manufacturers were trading on very tight margins risking loss of jobs due to closure of businesses in the sector.
“The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM)’s three – year strategy is well aligned with the government’s development agenda and focused to increase the contribute growth to GDP for 7.2% in 2021to 20 % in the growth of GDP by the year 2030 hence creating jobs and developing the country’s economy”, said Mr. Mwangi.
Mr. Mwangi indicated that KMA has four – focus areas including; global competitiveness, Export- led growth, industrialized Agriculture and SME Development.
He further said that there was a need for Parliament through legislation to support manufacturers for optimal production.
Mr. Mwangi also called for inclusion in the process of legislation by contributing to Bills affecting business environment in Kenya, participating in the Budget Process to help the Association familiarize with the country’s projections among other mechanisms to enable the Association make informed choices.
The CEO emphasized on the need to strengthen the value chain business model and involve all stakeholders including manufacturers, policy makers and government to build jobs and enhance growth of the economy.
Mr. Mwangi registered his worries on high taxation to products saying that there was need to align the laws to Kenya’s export promotion policy and strategies to remove domestic taxation as per the Kenya’s policies on exports to encourage more exports from foreign exchange resulting in job creation and lower trade deficit from imported products for self-sustenance.
Speaker Moses Wetang’ula received the KAM team in his office and appreciated their contribution to job creation and economic growth of the country.
Dr. Wetang’ula said that Kenya is a resilient nation with determined and hardworking people who have often engaged in various businesses to make a living.
He underscored the fact that Kenya is advantaged and well-endowed with natural resources, opportunities, untapped potential and tremendous human resource in the business sector that needs to be guarded and supported for effective growth and development as projected by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.
The Speaker committed to support the Association by ensuring that KAM engages relevant committees to establish bottlenecks on the way of their operations for high productivity.
KAM is seeking to scrutinize the following Bills that relate to the sector namely; the Prompt Payment Bill, Kenya Drugs Authority Bill, Sugar Bill, the Public Participation Bill, the Government Owned Entities Bill, Local Content Bill, the Kenya Development Bank Bill, the Public Participation Bill among others.
