• Onsongo said they should be given ample time to recover.
• The region has over 3,000 bars and more than 5,000 people depend on the business.
Image: SHABAN OMAR
Kwale bar owners have asked the county government for a six-month tax waiver to help them recover from the losses incurred during the dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Kwale County Bar Owners Association chairman Richard Onsongo said they should be given ample time to recover the money they lost.
"We are asking the government to give us a tax holiday since we have been suffering due to the pandemic," he said.
The region has about 3,000 bars and more than 5,000 people depend on the industry.
After Covid-19 outbreak, the majority of bar and restaurant workers lost their jobs.
Even after they were permitted to reopen under fixed regulations and Covid-19 protocol, businesses continued to register losses as profits dwindled.
Onsongo said the government should wait until businesses have fully recovered to enable them to re-employ those who had been laid off.
"Right now we cannot resume normal operations because business is still down. Quick revitalisation tax waivers should come in for us to consider our former employees who are now jobless," he said.
During Mashujaa Day, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted the nationwide curfew that had lasted nearly two years.
The opening hours of bars and restaurants were extended to 11pm. When the curfew was still in place, pubs operated from 2pm to 7pm and eateries from 8am to 9pm.
According to Onsongo, the government should completely do away with the restriction on operating hours.
He said the entertainment sector is vibrant during the night, which is healthy for their businesses.
"There should be no time limit. It would be better if we were allowed to work 24 hours to compensate for the lost time," Onsongo said.
The businessman said if the government is committed to reopening the economy, then it must work on clearing the barriers affecting businesses.
Timothy Mburu said if the government allowed pubs to operate past 11pm, their businesses would flourish.
He said most customers start taking their drinks at 8pm.
Ian Kamanza, who operates a small pub, said since the majority of businesses had shut down, they should be exempted from taxes to enable them to get back on their feet.
He said many would want to reopen but can’t afford to manage operations because of the few working hours.
In February, the county government reduced permit fees for bar owners to cushion them from the pandemic.
Governor Salim Mvurya, who met with the county bar owners’ association in Ukunda, ordered revenue collectors to continue charging old rates until businesses recover.
Last year, the county gave three-month tax waivers on business permits, land rates, market-entry fees, parking charges for tuk tuks and matatus and outpatient charges in all public hospitals.
Edited by A.N