Kenyan taxpayers to pay over sh.1 billion for the establishment of MPs TV channel
Kenyan taxpayers to dig deeper in their pockets to raise Sh 1.1 billion for the establishment of a complete state of the art parliamentary broadcasting channel.
If the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) will okay the establishment of the television channel, the taxpayers will be forced to part with Sh 300 million annually required to run the station.
The station will be like the Bunge TV Channel which will run for 24 hours broadcasting all the proceedings and events of the Senate and the National Assembly.
The proposal will be implemented in two phases if the PSC adopts the proposal presented to them.
The House will require Sh524.6 million in the first phase which will be used to upgrade the current contract with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) to include the coverage of committee meetings.
National Assembly’s broadcasting and Library report, states that the Parliament will then require Sh600 million for the second phase which will be used to purchase the equipment of equipment for the channel.
The money will also be used to provide personnel and equipment to produce and broadcast Parliament content fully. A total of 43 personnel will be hired to run the channel who include the production and the technical staff.
If the Bill will be adopted, then the pay as you earn (PAYE), corporation tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) will be reversed.
The taxman will start deducting 30 per cent Pay-As-You-Earn tax as opposed to the current 25 per cent. Companies will now be paying the corporate tax of 30 per cent from the current 25 per cent.
The 100 per cent tax relief for persons earning a gross monthly income of up to Sh 24,000 will also be scrapped off.
