Kirinyaga County Assembly speaker Muteti Murimi has castigated Azimio la Umoja leaders over what he terms as misleading Kenyans on the ongoing public debate on Finance Bill.
Murimi said the Bill contains proposals meant to cure an already dilapidated economy that has been stifled by among others, long term public debts.
He said Azimio luminaries have been selective while discussing the Bill and using some of the clauses to misguide the public for their own political advantage.
Speaking on Thursday during the Madaraka Day celebrations at Kibirigwi Primary School, the speaker urged the Opposition to in the same apply the same energy they are using to criticise the Bill in sensitising Kenyans on many clauses set to uplift their lives.
He cited the proposal on agricultural produce and farm inputs which will be zero rated and granting tax amnesty to business operators who have pending issues with Kenya Revenue Authority as among the best proposals.
"Let us not read the Bill in isolation. Let us support the government in it’s course to resuscitate the economy so that we can promote the growth of our country,” he said.
Muteti at the same time defended the government for proposing to impose VAT on some products saying the move is meant to generate revenue for the country and save it from domestic and external borrowing which risks sinking it further into more public debts.
"Every year, the government explores ways of raising revenue for development. These come in two major ways namely taxation and borrowing.
"At the moment, the country is overstretched with high debts which are maturing at very costly interests hence we cannot afford to borrow any more. I therefore want to urge Kenyans to take positively the increased taxation so that we can be able to recover the economy," Murimi said.
