Mumias East Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has warned Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi over plans to reintroduce some clauses from the rejected controversial Finance Bill, 2024.
Salasya on effects of new taxes
Taking to his official Instagram account on Monday, August 19, 2024, Salasya warned that the country may burn again should tax amendments from the rejected Bill get reintroduced at this time.
CS Mbadi on Sunday, August 18, 2024, hinted at the government’s plan to introduce 49 tax amendments aimed at growing the country’s revenue base.
However, Salasya says that Mbadi might be confident about the government’s plan due to the numbers President William Ruto is currently enjoying in parliament as a result of his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) dalliance with the opposition’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), but Gen Zs will deal with them.
Salasya on opposition
According to Salasya, Gen Zs are the current official government watchdogs.
Salasya warns that should bad tax policies get introduced now, the government will face the wrath of Gen Zs, which will be worse than the previous anti-government protests.
“Wewe mbadi jaribu iyo ujinga utajua hujui ….you want again to start burning this country ….Kenyans are watching watajua just brag because you have automatic numbers of uda and odm but sisi genz ndio official opposition, try it at your own peril na hii ndio itakuwa mbaya zaidi, genz we don’t care kama mbaya ni mbaya,” Salasya stated.
Salasya who was elected on Eugene Wamalwa’s Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) has been a great critic of President Ruto’s regime.
The youthful lawmaker was part of a section of the MPs who rejected the controversial Finance Bill, 2024, in its entirety.
Mbadi on tax amendments
Mbadi has announced plans to bring back the Eco Levy with amendments, just days after President Ruto hinted at coming up with a new plan to raise more revenue following the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024.
Speaking to a local TV station on Sunday, August 18, 2024, Mbadi noted that the Eco levy, which was part of the controversial Bill, had some meaning and ought to be revived through proper amendments.
Mbadi while defending the plan said that contentious products like sanitary pads will be left out of the new proposal, noting that its introduction will not affect normal citizens.
“Eco Levy has some meanings; we will just make sure that they are levied on those items that pollute the environment. Issues that are contentious, like sanitary pads, those we will leave out,” Mbadi stated.
The Eco Levy was among the contentious tax-raising proposals that were contained in the dropped Finance Bill 2024. It was set to affect various products, including plastic packaging, c*r batteries, diapers, sanitary towels, and rubber tyres.