The government has defended its tax collection measures to fund the budget, asserting it’s implemented successfully during President Mwai Kibaki’s regime.
President William Ruto expressed confidence that his administration’s tax collection measures will increase revenue collection and cut debt borrowing, which he says is not sustainable.
“When Kibaki was the President, we used to collect Kes 200 billion in revenue. He helped the country until we collected up to Kes 900 billion, almost Kes 1 trillion. Will I now loose track when Mzee Kibaki has already showed us that the nation is built on taxes and not debts. That’s where we are,” said Ruto.
Further, he said Kenya Kwanza’s government's proactive approach to subsidizing production is well-calculated to lower the cost of living.
“I worked with Mzee Kibaki and when I was his Agriculture Minister, he told me I look for a plan to reduce fertilizers prices. Because of learning from him that’s why I reduced the fertilizers prices,” he said.
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Additionally, he noted that he has managed to stabilize the economy despite criticism from his detractors that the economic outlook has worsened during his regime.
Ruto has pointed out that his government has moved away from sponsoring the current financial year's budget through borrowing and focused on funding the budget through taxes imposed on Kenyans.
“We have stabilized the economy of the people of Kenya. We must build this country on a solid foundation not on a foundation of debt. The economy is now stabilized,” said Ruto.
The Head of State buttressed that the government has made plans to settle foreign debts before their maturity to ensure the nation is not caught off guard due to a relentless crisis.
