National Super Alliance (NASA) party members on Tuesday issued nine conditions for them to support President Uhuru Kenyatta's proposal to effect the 8 percent VAT on fuel.
Speaking at Orange House, Minority Whip Junet Mohammed stated that after holding a consultative meeting with party leader Raila Odinga, the party had resolved to offer conditional support to Uhuru's memorandum to Parliament cutting VAT on fuel from 16 to 8 percent.
"Representing the NASA parliamentary group, we are offering conditional support to Uhuru's fuel tax plan for a period of one year," he told journalists.
He added that the caucus would support the VAT tax on fuel only if nine conditions are met.
Here are the key proposals presented by the coalition:
1. During this year, the government must take general austerity measures to reduce its spending by the elimination of extravagant services.
2. The government must reform parastatals to serve the citizens better and take measure to reduce them and merge some that have duplicate functions.
3. The government must tame its appetite for big borrowing, take stock of what the country has and later resume borrowing at a more sustainable rate.
4. The president must tame ambition of projects. The rate at which the projects are being launched is driving the country to more debts. Before undertaking, projects must be assessed to ensure they have maximum benefit to a majority of people.
5. The government must draw up a clear plan for job creation. We will support the proposal when presented in Parliament.
6. We propose the reviewing and reform of the banking sector to ensure more Kenyans have access to these financial services at affordable rates.
7. The government should put more effort in the anti-corruption fight. Prosecutions must not be for show but lead to convictions.
8. The coalition further called on the government to rope in more countries to ensure corruption money overseas is repatriated.
9. Tax reform seeing that KRA has shown no creativity in expanding tax bracket.
NASA noted that if the proposals are implemented, there would be no need to extend the VAT tax for another year.
Here is a video of the presser:
NASA parliamentary group meeting statement.
Junet Mohammed: NASA recognises the situation the country is in regard to meeting its development goals
We also recognise the suffering Kenyans are going through rising cost of living that has been worsened by taxation measures pic.twitter.com/nthtlC8i4a
