President Uhuru must streamline KRA to meet pledges

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has missed its half-year target by Sh50 billion, most of it from income taxes as companies retrench due to bad economic times.

A section of the Press says that the Customs department has so far lost Sh22 billion due to fraudulent activities of KRA officials, clearing agents and employees from two banks.

Unless President Uhuru Kenyatta reforms KRA including getting another team at the helm, he will not manage to make good his manifesto promises because he will always be challenged by money issues and could easily lose the 2017 election.

Dealers in second hand vehicles have seen their businesses shrink by 40 per cent due to high taxes.

Over 18 listed companies have given profit warnings.

School books have become unaffordable due to tax hikes.

New KCC has been shrinking as the President goes across borders to market rivals.

Coffee farmers are staring at bankruptcies in the face as the breakdown of the rule of law gives organised criminals room to raid their stocks with no response from the Government.

The steel industry has retrenched over 18,000 employees as KRA lets in Chinese steel dumped through subsidies by the Government.

Local infrastructure contractors are owed over Sh100 billion by both county and national governments. Many stopped working early last year.

The Jubilee administration is on notice with elections being 18 months away.