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By Peter MutaiThe Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry is concerned over the move by Mombasa county to arbitrarily impose taxes on goods passing through the port.
Chairman Kiprono Kittony said KNCCI is unhappy with the way the new levies have been introduced without involving the private sector.
He said this will scare away investors shipping goods through the port of Mombasa, who may resort to use other ports in the region, such as Dar es Salaam. This would cost the Kenyan economy revenues, he said.
"We are concerned with what we have seen in Mombasa and we are calling upon Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho to reconsider revising the taxes that he has recently imposed on goods passing through the port of Mombasa," Kittony said in Kericho on Saturday during official launch of Benkisa Group, a fast-moving consumers goods dealer.
Kittony said the abrupt imposition of taxes will result in further delay in port clearing and movement of goods into landlocked countries using the port.
This will make Kenya uncompetitive in terms of ease of doing business, he said.
"We are calling on all governors across the country to negotiate their Finance Bills with the business community and more specifically the Chamber of Commerce so as not to arbitrarily impose taxes that could kill the country's economy."
He said various trade blocs across the continent have opened up their markets to non-tariff zones, and Kenya must thus hasten push for free flow of goods and services across its borders.
Kittony said the country should consider reducing tariffs imposed on various commodities to enable Kenya boost its intra-Africa trade volumes.
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