Kenya told to ease graduates’ hiring proposal

NAIROBI: The Government has been challenged to set in place clear measures to have companies taking on board university graduates, benefit from tax relief. Reading this year's budget statement, Treasury Cabinet Secretary announced that companies that hire university graduates straight from college would be considered in giving some tax rebates.

The move is aimed at lowering unemployment and giving the youth an easy transition from school to the work place. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the StanChart bank organised an inter-university business contest where hundreds of graduates competed. Nine graduates won the contest and three of them will be offered internship opportunities at StanChart.

The winners will get hands-on experience and mentorship from experienced staff. ACCA Kenya, Head of Education and Development in Eastern Africa George Kairu said most employers are willing to take up the challenge of hiring fresh graduates.

"What most companies now want are clear measures on how the budget proposal on hiring fresh graduates will work," he told Weekend Business, Friday.

He said ACCA believes in preparing well-grounded accountants to support the economy in all sectors. "We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business," he added.