• Two farmers, speaking for many, said it is unfair they are forced maintain roads in their areas while roads in other areas are maintained by the county.
• The factories maintain the roads to facilitate smooth collection of tea leaves from tea buying centres to the factories.
Image: ALICE WAITHERA
@Alicewangechi
Tea farmers from Murang’a companies want local tea factories exempted from paying levies imposed on road construction materials.
Two farmers have submitted a petition to the county assembly to have the factories cushioned from the levies that they said eat into farmers’ earnings.
Eutychus Ngechu and David Muturi told the public works committee in the assembly on Friday that tea factories incur heavy costs as they strive to manage feeder roads in their areas of jurisdiction.
The upgraded roads ease the process of transporting green leaf from tea buying centres to the factories and ensures their trucks are not stuck on the roads.
The farmers told the committee chaired by Moses Gachui that the factories then deduct some amount of money from their earnings to cover the costs.
Muturi said the fact they are charged for road maintenance disadvantages them as compared to other farmers who don’t undergo such expenses.
“Macadamia, coffee and avocado areas are at an advantage because roads are maintained by the government in their areas”.
Muturi said he sells his tea to Makomboki tea factory in Kigumo sub county that spent Sh11.2 million on maintenance of roads and Sh985,634 was paid to the County Government as cess and levy.
He said its unfortunate that besides paying taxes, tea farmers are left to cater for rehabilitation of their roads to facilitate collection of their produce.
On his part, Ngechu said the financial statements of Ikumbi tea factory to which he sells his tea incidated that it spent Sh8 million to maintain roads last year.
The factory that is Kigumo sub county also paid an additional Sh. 201,000 to the county government as cess and levy.
He said should the factories be exempted from the levies, it would have a positive impact on their payments, noting that the tea sub sector has over 30 taxes imposed on it by the government which he said leaves farmers with little returns.
Ngechu said its time for the county government to intervene and take over the role of maintain roads in tea zones to reprieve farmers of the heavy costs.
The petition lodged on January 23 wants levies imposed on quarry waste, murram and gravel removed to reduce the cost of roads’ rehabilitation by tea factories.
Kangari MCA Moses Mirara, a member of the committee said roads rehabilitation has been a longstanding issue for tea farmers who feel over-exploited by the many deductions of their returns.
“Exempting the factories from the levies would increase farmers’ earnings. It is our role as the assembly to come up with ways of supporting farmers.” He said.
After collecting views on the petition, the committee will later table a report before the house for adoption.