Deputy President William Ruto yesterday declared to change the 2022/23 Budget if he wins the State House race on August 9, 2022.
Speaking in Karuri, Banana town in Kiambu County, where he addressed roadside rallies after attending a church service at ACK, St Peter’s Church, Muongoiya in Kiambaa Constituency.
The DP claimed that Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani’s recent reading in Parliament of the Sh3.3 trillion Budget for the fiscal year beginning July was not people-friendly and merely aimed to raise the cost of living.
“You know the Budget was read recently and it seeks to increase the cost of basic commodities such as water, bread, maize flour, and motorcycles. We want to tell them that (the) Budget won’t be passed in Parliament and if it does, we’ll overturn it after three months so that it can be a budget of the common mwananchi,” Ruto said.
Last Thursday, when presenting the highlights of the Budget, Yatani avoided mentioning the specific sectors of the economy where the government intends to boost income, but the true objectives were revealed in the Finance Bill, 2022.
In the coming fiscal year as he presented last budget that totaled to Sh.3.3 trillion, among the losers of this year’s budget include the boda boda and three-wheeler owners and operators, whom Yatani proposed must have insurance covers for themselves and their passengers.
The CS also went hard on the gambling and alcoholic beverages sectors, terming them as hazardous habits.
Yatani introduced a 15 percent excise duty on the revenue paid for the running of a gambling or alcoholic drink advert.
“To discourage the promotion of these products and these activities, I propose 15 percent excise duty on fees charged by TV stations, print media, billboards and radio stations for the advertisement of these activities,” the CS stated.
Manufacturers and consumers of liquid nicotine also face higher costs after the government increased the levy imposed on the product to Sh70 per millilitre.
The proposal has been attributed to rising road accidents and fatalities involving the operators.
Other losers rounding off the budget statement include taxpayers involved in tax disputes with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), soon to be Kenya Revenue Services.
Such taxpayers will be required to deposit 50 percent of the disputed tax revenue in a special account at the CBK when the Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT) makes a ruling in favour of KRA even if the taxpayer appeals such a decision.
The amount is, however, to be reimbursed should such a taxpayer win the appeal.
