This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
Kakamega Business Owners Slam Governor Oparanya's Digital Tax Plan ¶
Business owners in Kakamega County are up in arms over Governor Wycliffe Oparanya's digital tax plan, which they claim is unfair and will cause financial hardship.
According to reports, the plan, which was launched on June 26, 2019, in partnership with Safaricom, has been met with resistance from business owners who claim they do not have the necessary skills to use digital payment systems.
"I'm over 70 years old and I don't have a smartphone. How am I supposed to pay my taxes?" said one business owner.
Another business owner added, "This is a disaster waiting to happen. We're going to lose our jobs and our businesses will suffer."
The business owners claim that the digital tax plan is unfair and will cause financial hardship for many of them.
"We're not against paying taxes, but we want a fair system that doesn't penalize us for not having the necessary skills," said one business owner.
The Kakamega County government has lost over KSh 500 million annually due to the old tax system, and they claim that the digital tax plan will help them collect taxes more efficiently.
However, the business owners are not convinced and are calling on the government to reconsider the plan.
"We want the government to go back to the old system or find a new way to collect taxes that doesn't penalize us," said one business owner.
