When former Kenya Association of Manufacturers chairman Rajan Shah posed a question on the numerous levies and fees imposed by State agencies, the underwhelming response from National Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo was a proposal to have a meeting that could iron out the issues.
Shah also sought to understand why there are countless State agencies yet the government has always advocated for a leaner administration.
He noted that these agencies impose levies that choke businesses, some cases being double taxation, citing the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations. "What we do not see is the speed in which this (shrinking of the government) is happening.
We are not seeing some of this consolidation of agencies. "Instead, we are seeing agencies levying fees and levies to generate revenue for them thus increasing the cost of doing business," he said during a meeting between the PS and Kenya Private Sector Alliance.
