WRITING THE ORBITUARY OF AGRICULTURE.
The KRA's intent to start taxing peasant farmers is quite an obnoxious idea. A step backward in the wrong direction.
Farming as a basic industry and backborne of the kenyan industry, absorbs over 75% of the kenyan labour force. In general , being the largest foreighn exchange earner notwithstanding, agriculture is not as attractive an occupation like other white collar jobs.
Owing to its non-attractiveness to the fresh college graduates and the youth as a whole, agriculture ails from neglect and abhorrence. It consequently needs rebranding and protectionalism from the government. Being a biological activity charaterised by a higher digree of uncertainity and perpetual vulnerability to the extremes of nature. Agriculture is faced with more challenges than its counterparts like service and manufucturing industries hence requires preferential protectionalism.
The KRA's intent to start taxing peasant farmers is quite an obnoxious idea. A step backward in the wrong direction.
Farming as a basic industry and backborne of the kenyan industry, absorbs over 75% of the kenyan labour force. In general , being the largest foreighn exchange earner notwithstanding, agriculture is not as attractive an occupation like other white collar jobs.
Owing to its non-attractiveness to the fresh college graduates and the youth as a whole, agriculture ails from neglect and abhorrence. It consequently needs rebranding and protectionalism from the government. Being a biological activity charaterised by a higher digree of uncertainity and perpetual vulnerability to the extremes of nature. Agriculture is faced with more challenges than its counterparts like service and manufucturing industries hence requires preferential protectionalism.
Instead of taxing peasant farmers, The government should
formulate policies that excempt peasant farmers from such tax levies.
Measures should be put in place to disseminate more power onto the hands
of the farmer through technical support, subsidies for inputs and
wavers for tax levies and input import duties. Such initiatives can lure
more people into farming, ultimately improving the overall
macro-economy. The KRA should not be desperate . Instead it ought to
strive to collect in wholesome the huge tax that is evaded by the
largest , supposed to be taxpayers.
Danish OcharoKitui.
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