After Chaos in the Parliament: Massive Taxes been levied on the Public!

Today, will be the day of “nayes” and “yayes” of the Kenyan Parliament. As there was report of lack of quorum, meaning, lacking the need of 2/3 of the Parliament to vote, as it needs to be to enact a bill. However, that was a none issue for the Parliament and the chaos that has happen today proves it. As the Speaker couldn’t manage the House and neither the voting. As dozens of MPs left the Parliament and the chambers during the first vote, but however, the second vote enacted it. Even if the reports of lacking amounts of MPs are there.

The national assembly has 290 elected MPs; 47 women elected from each of the 47 counties and at least 12 members nominated to represent women, youth and the marginalised. These add up to 349 members but only 215 were present for the vote, but you need about 230 votes to have needed MPs to pass a bill. Therefore, someone has rigged the numbers as the 134 MPs left the chambers today or even didn’t show up to cast their votes. Not just the Presidential Elections are now rigged, but the votes inside the Parliament. Meaning, the state doesn’t care how they follow the needed orders of the Executive and not the laws of the Republic.

Here is the taxes that is enacted today, as the people will pay more taxes at a staggering rate, as the state has damaged themselves with high rates of loans, sky-rocket levels of corruptions and investments that isn’t profitable. Therefore, because of the deficit created by the loans and corruption, the taxes are coming now to pick that up. This is damage created by the politicians and covered by the public. The Representatives are thieving and the ones covering for them is the public.

On the financing of the Supplementary|Estimates, 2018

The Committee was informed that;

To ensure the budget is fully financed, the President, through a memorandum on the Finance Bill 2018, proposed a raft of measures for re-consideration by Parliament. These as follows:

a) Reduction of VAT on petroleum products from the standard 16% to 8%.

b) Re-Introduction of excise duty on fees for banks and financial services at 20% from the current 10%.

c) Telephone and data services at 15% from 10%.

d) Mobile Money transfers services from 10% to 20%.

e) Excise Duty on fees charged by financial institutions from 10% to 20%.

f) Re-Introduction of tax on sugar confectionary.

g) Re-Introduction of tax on exportation of copper waste and scrap at 20%.

h) Contribution of 1,5% of basic pay each for employee and employer to be paid into the National Housing Development Fund.

I) Reduction of gambling taxes from35% to 15%.

j) Introduction of anti-adulteration levy on the importation of illuminating kerosene” (Report on the Supplementary Estimates for FY 2018-19, 19.09.2018).

You can really see that the MPs and the President is punishing the public for their reckless behavior in power, as the growing debt are now hurting the citizens. It is not hurting the MPs and the Parliament itself. As the public will pay more for transferring money, using cellphone services, garbage, higher direct PAYE for the ones working and so much more. Therefore, the cost of living will go up, the prices on the commodities and less money into the formal system will happen to. As people will save their money and they will use less of mobile money, as they rather transfer money in other ways to save and use the informal ways. The same way with other things, as the prices of this goes up. These taxes will surely take the money out of the system and ensure less fiscal funds within the Republic.

President Uhuru Kenyatta with his memorandum clearly didn’t care much for the ramifications, as the MPs actually just rubber-stamped it. This is all for the excuse of closing in the deficit, but these MPs knows why there been growing debts and lack of fiscal funds, as the state are making to big budgets to handle or to find funds. That is why they are in this predicament in the first place.

Kenyatta should try to repay all the grand corruption scandals and get his cronies to do the same, as that is one of the reasons for shortfall and lack of fiscal funding. Therefore, this funds could fix the lack fiscal responsibility, but the President will not do that. That is why these taxes are levied. Peace.

Statement on the Cabinet of Uganda’s Approval to Extend MTN Uganda’s License (19.09.2018)

President Kenyatta wants to overtax the public to cover the deficit [which is half] of the budget

President Uhuru recommends revision of mobile phone transaction excise duty to 20% from 10%, bank transaction 20% & phone, internet costs 15%” (K24 TV, 18.09.2018).

When seeing the new planned taxes from the Jubilee, this meaning the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto. It all makes sense, as the new budget as explained underneath is really special. As the graft-ridden, debt-raising government under these fellas are continuing, even as the state is payer bigger and bigger slice of the budget to repay old debts. That is why austerity and ensuring a proper would be priority, however, the Jubilee are really planning an overkill. That is why the explained issue is very clear!

If adopted by the MPs on Thursday – during the second special sitting, the budget will reduce to Sh2.971 trillion as the government fights to bridge the huge deficit because it is only able to raise about Sh1.6 trillion” (Daily Nation, 18.09.2018).

When the Daily Nation calls it a huge deficit, it is half of the budget. It is actually over half of the budget that is a deficit. These funds has to found somewhere, if they are printing money to fill this gap, than the Kenyan Shilling will loose value and soon be valued less than the Ugandan Shilling. That is something Kenyatta doesn’t want to spoil his legacy. If this means more debt, than he he continuing an evil circle of renewing old debt, while adding new debt to pay for the deficit. This shortfall will not be covered by these taxes proposed in the Finance Bill. As these will also ensure that people are closing off from the Mobile Money, using banking less and also later less online.

The Kenyan Government instead of adding growth, they will actually tax themselves into recession and even depression. As the lack of currency will appear, as the monetary system in the way of taxing transactions and mobile money, will discourage people and make life in general really expensive for paying for needed services. They will find other informal ways of doing it or even more in cash, as they will save paying the added fees. People are made like this and the Safaricom M-Pesa will be hit, just like Mobile Money was hit in Uganda earlier this year.

Kenyatta should have learned from that experience, as the Mobile Money and Transaction Tax will hurt the citizens and also ensure that the poorest will find other ways to pay their bills. As they cannot afford and will use other ways of getting the things they needs. Therefore, if the Jubilee government did their due diligence, they would explain these taxes. Instead, they are unleashing them without paperwork. That means they are just to cover the shortfall, but not by finding ways of creating wealth, but taxing everyone. Hoping the funds will magically appear and find ways to pay old debts.

If Kenyatta could print money and just pay the creditors off, that seems like his dream. However, he knows that is a bad idea. Instead, he picks to overtax and kill the economy, as the transactions and movement of money will be costly, this will constrain the public and not create development. Certainly, this will backfire. But at what level is what known, but if the deficit of bewilderment wasn’t bad enough. The overtaxing of the citizens will really put the public over the barrel. Peace.

Kenya: National Transport and Safety Authority – Deregistration of PSV Operator Licenses (17.09.2018)

The 200 Shillings of Doom: Millionaire MPs complain about possibly paying 400 shillings daily for OTT Access!

It is a disgrace, the best paid representatives with all sorts of benefits, even not even taxed for their salaries, these Members of the Parliament (MPs). That these MPS are complaining about the OTT Tax. These MPs who are earning approximately earning about 26,000,000 Ugandan Shillings ($6,852) monthly. MPs are complaining that they have pay 400 shillings a daily. Because they have to pay OTT on their personal Cellphone and also on their Ipads. So lets say a month is 30 days we add that with 400 shillings (Ipad + Cellphone) that is total 12,000 shillings ($ 3.1). That is why it is insulting, that ones earning giant fortunes are complaining about paying possible for one more gadget. This is a tax they enacted in Parliament not long ago. They should have the courage and the funds to pay this sums, but seemingly that is too much for them. How about the people then, who doesn’t earns millions of shillings a month?

Parliament has clarified that members of parliament can access free Social Media services on their IPADs only when transacting parliament business. The Principal information officer at Parliament Moses Bwalatum, says according to the contract signed between Parliament and the Ipad Service providers, legislators can only use them for the legislative roles unless the contract are reviewed. This means that legislators have to pay OTT tax on their personal phone to access the other social media platforms” (NBS Television, 14.09.2018).

They should be capable to spend these meager sums of money. As the MPs should be able to pay 3 US Dollars a month for the OTT on both Cellphone and Ipad, as they are earning close to 6800 US Dollars. It is insane, that they whose earning such fortunes in a country, where civil servants aren’t earning that much. They are high-ranking and huge salaries which should cover everything, especially another 200 shillings, which is apparently to much for these rich MPs.

That the MPs cannot manage to spend a total of 3 dollars a month on OTT Taxes are insane, when they are earning over 6000 dollars a month, are they that lavish on their side-dishes, that they cannot mange to pay this? But they said the ordinary citizens and that this would not discriminate people, as this was a luxury. Is this now a luxury that the millionaire MPs cannot manage?

Are 400 shillings a day to much to ask for the ones who are already tax-exempt on their salary? Are you that greedy? 

Seriously, the MPs who enacted the OTT Tax should be able to pay for it, just like everyone else. They are having a giant salaries, housing, cars and whatnots covered. They are surely able to do this, but are stubborn and greedy, as sleazy salesmen, they expect to be…

They are certainly not showing confidence, but a more a mockery of the people. Since they have wealth and the general public doesn’t. Peace.

Parliament of Uganda: Clarification on OTT Tax remarks attributed to Hon. Kaps Hassan Fungaroo (14.09.2018)

UMEME: National Outage (12.09.2018)

Central Bank of Kenya: Investigations of Banks related to National Youth Service Transactions (12.09.2018)

DP World: We will continue to pursue all legal means to defend our rights as shareholder and concessionaire in Doraleh Container Terminal (12.09.2018)

Investors across the world must think twice about investing in Djibouti.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, September 12, 2018 – DP World (http://web.dpworld.com) said today that it will continue to pursue all legal means to defend its rights as a shareholder and concessionaire in Doraleh Container Terminal SA (DCT) in the face of Djibouti’s blatant disregard for the rule of law and respect for commercial contracts.

On 9 September the President of Djibouti enacted a decree which purportedly transferred the shareholding of Port de Djibouti SA (PDSA) in Doraleh Container Terminal SA (DCT) to the Government of Djibouti. PDSA is 23.5% owned by China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd of Hong Kong (“China Merchants”).

DP World said the transfer appears to have been made in an attempt to flout an injunction of the English High Court which restrains PDSA from using its shareholding to take control of DCT. This is the latest step in the Government of Djibouti’s five-year campaign to take the 2006 Concession Agreement away from DCT, through which DP World operated, and part owns the Doraleh Container Terminal.

“Investors across the world must think twice about investing in Djibouti and reassess any agreements they may have with a government that has no respect for legal agreements and changes them at will without agreement or consent,” a DP World spokesperson said.

On 31 August, the High Court of England & Wales issued an injunction against PDSA, as shareholder in DCT, ordering that it:

  • Shall not act as if the joint venture agreement with DP World has been terminated
  • Shall not appoint new directors or remove DP World’s nominated directors without its consent
  • Shall not cause the DCT joint venture company to act on the “Reserved Matters” without DP World’s consent.
  • Shall not instruct or cause DCT to give instructions to Standard Chartered Bank in London to transfer funds to Djibouti.

In an apparent attempt to circumvent the injunction, on 9 September 2018, the Government of Djibouti transferred PDSA’s shares in DCT to itself. The new decree was accompanied by a press release replete with untrue statements. It also refers to DP World being paid fair compensation in accordance with international law.

The 2006 Concession Agreement, which is governed by English law, provides that disputes relating to the Agreement are to be resolved through binding arbitration in the London Court of International Arbitration. Such arbitration proceedings are ongoing. To date the Government has not made any offer to compensate DP World.

Djibouti: Communique du Doraleh Container Terminal (09.09.2018)