Members of Parliament (MPs) have challenged the government to waive the taxes on textbooks to promote education and ensure the success of the competency-based curriculum.
This is after a petitioner petitioned the national assembly to amend the law to reduce taxes imposed on textbooks, journals and periodicals, arguing that high taxation discourages a reading culture.
Nakuru East MP David Gikaria said education is a key pillar in the development of a nation, adding that factors that promote it should be easily available.
“Pupils from poor backgrounds are not able to do their homework because they cannot afford textbooks. They are just too expensive,” he said.
Rabai MP William Kamoti noted that the government should promote free and education by waiving the tax on books.
Njoroge Waweru wrote to the Speaker of National Assembly Justin Muturi seeking Parliament’s intervention to reduce the 16 per cent Value Added Tax on new and old books.
“The petitioner states that while the tax is premised on the real value of a product, the true value of a book cannot be quantified in precise monetary terms by publishers or by revenue collection agencies,” read the petition notice.
Waweru argued that the levies on books and related publications amounted to destructive bias of taxation and that the levy was a contradiction by any government that understood the value of education and that sought to promote a culture of lifelong learning among its citizens.
“There is need to create a robust reading culture in the current information age,” he appealed.
In his petition, the petitioner stated that the taxation was a discrimination against printed materials since online books and publications were never taxed.
If the petition sails through in Parliament, it will be a relief to parents and publishers who have raised concern over increased costs of books.
Further, the petitioner observed that most distribution channels of books did not conform to the conventional value chain of commercial items on account, among other reasons, that some of them were donations meant to assist those in need or for academic purposes.
The education committee is now expected to table a report in its consideration of the petition within 60 days.