Mumias East MP Peter Salasya has cautioned Treasury CS John Mbadi about the reintroduction of certain provisions from the withdrawn Finance Bill 2024, including the controversial Eco Levy.
On Monday, August 19, Salasya took to his official social media accounts to assert that Kenyans are keeping a close eye on the situation and that the younger generation is effectively serving as the government’s opposition.
These comments from Salasya follow Treasury CS Mbadi’s announcement that the National Treasury intends to reintroduce 49 clauses from the withdrawn bill as part of its new revenue generation strategy.
In an interview, Mbadi insisted that the government plans to prioritize measures that won’t negatively impact ordinary citizens.
He also noted that items such as sanitary pads will be exempt from the Eco Levy.
“There are about 49 clauses. Some don’t even have financial implications. On the eco-levy, we will target those areas that would not affect the common citizen.
We can’t make a mistake in the sensitive areas because Kenyans have spoken,” Mbadi stated.
The CS pointed out that the levy would affect multinational companies, suggesting a 10 percent excise duty that had previously faced significant opposition from various companies.
“They (companies) will tell us why they oppose it. For them, they are in business, but we are also of interest as a country. If you are injurious to the environment, then you must pay to make good of the harm you have caused,” Mbadi added.
The Eco Levy faced significant backlash from Kenyans during the protests against the Finance Bill 2024.
To offset the effects of retracting the Finance Bill 2024, the National Treasury plans to generate an extra Ksh150 billion by reintroducing the levy.
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