The Mountain Journal
Two youthful tea farmers put up a spirited battle at the Murang’a County Assembly to have tea factories exempted from paying levies after they buy road construction materials.
David Muturi and Eutychus Ngechu told the roads and public works committee how the roads in the tea growing sector are impassable leaving maintenance to the tea factories.
They are from Makomboki and Ikumbi tea factories in Kigumo said the roads within the coffee, macadamia and avocado growing areas are maintained unlike those serving the tea farmers.
They appeared before the committee chaired by Moses Gachui following a petition they lodged seeking tea factories be exempted from levies charged on rural roads maintenance materials.
Muturi said Makomboki tea factory he was affiliated with last year spent Sh11.2 million on maintenance of roads in the catchment, where Sh985,634 was paid to Murang’a County Government as cess and levy.
“ It is sad that the tea farmers apart from paying taxes and levies are forced to pay for the rehabilitation of their roads to ensure their produce gets to the factory within the set period,” said Muturi.
He said it was painful that millions of shillings used in the task are deducted from the farmer’s kitty at one percent.
Ngechu said the Ikumbi tea factory serving parts of Kangari and Kinyona wards last year incurred a cost of Sh8 million, where Sh201,000 was paid as cess and levy to the county government.
“ It’s high time the county government came to the rescue of the farmers and embarked on the maintenance of the roads or exempt the factories from the levies,” said Ngechu.
They lodged their petition on January 23, seeking charges of quarry waste, murram and gravel be exempted as they assist in the transportation of the green leaf for processing.
Kangari MCA Moses Mirara said the issue of roads is a thorn in the flesh in the tea growing as the factories have been undertaking the rehabilitation responsibility.
“ It is a plea from the tea farmers for the tea factories being exempted from paying the levies,” said Mirara.
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