Is decision to save low income earners extra tax burden good?

Yes

I welcome the decision by President Uhuru Kenyatta to shield firms that offer services such as cleaning and security from paying new taxes. This means low income earners will save some coins to improve their lives. Most cooks, waiters and security personnel live in slums and this might just make them move to better houses and find better schools for their children.

The tax exemption might also encourage more Kenyans to start cleaning and security firms, thus creating employment for unskilled employees, especially the youth. This will reduce crime rates and drug abuse.

If 15 per cent tax money will be given back to the low income earners, they will save it or invest elsewhere. For example, if one can manage to save Sh20,000 per year, this can help him or her to start a small business like a vegetable kiosk, thus improving lives. It will help improve the status of the family and the country at large.

The gap between the rich and the poor is too wide. But through the tax exemption, the government is trying to close this gap, which is good for our economy.

Kenya is the most taxed country in the world and most of its people are unemployed. Saving poor Kenyans from paying taxes is a way of giving back to the society.

Mr Ambrose Kipkoech is a security officer.

My take is everyone should pay equal tax since it’s for the development of our nation. It does not have to be millions, but that one shilling makes one feel that he or she is part of building our nation.

We all yearn for development in our areas. When development comes, it doesn’t discriminate, so why exempt some from paying taxes? We need to be uniformly taxed.

The population of Kenyans doing low cadre jobs is very big. If they are exempted from paying some taxes, the few with professional jobs will suffer excess taxation and yet the very poor earners depend on these professionals for assistance. That will slow down development.

To add salt to injury, jua kali people make a lot of money and no one demands taxes from them! They need to pay even a small amount to help build infrastructure.

What happened to Huduma number?

The government should follow every Kenyan through this number so that all can pay taxes without exemption. That is the only way we will get out of the current economic crisis.

It’s just a matter of time then we stabilise.

Mr Nick Clifford is a student at JKUAT