City residents will today know the charges they will pay to the county government to be allowed to do business or get services for the next one year.
The County Finance Bill 2018, which stipulates fees and levies payable to the county government by business people and residents seeking services, will be tabled in the county assembly chamber today.
The Bill was initially supposed to be passed by September 27 but the Budget and Appropriations Committee sought two months extension. County Assembly chairman Robert Mbatia said the panel needed enough time to get submissions from every sector and carry out public participation. It was supposed to be tabled last Tuesday but was again moved to today.
Yesterday, Mbatia and majority leader Abdi Guyo said they will reduce the publication period of the Bill from seven days to a day. “Members have engaged the Bill and they are aware of its contents. So we don’t see why it should take us seven days,” Mbatia said.
The final draft seen by the Star stated that the Budget committee made a raft of changes to the original document presented to them by the treasury in what they say is a move to ease the burden on ‘Wanjiku.’ Parking fees were reduced from the proposed Sh400 by the executive to Sh200. Car owners currently pay Sh300 per day for parking.
Parking fees for canters reduced from the proposed Sh2,000 to Sh300 while those for lorries and trailers reduced to Sh500 and Sh1,000 down from Sh4,000 and Sh6,000 respectively.
Garbage collection fees for households and schools that had been proposed by the county treasury were scrapped off. Treasury had proposed a fee of Sh500 per household in the high-end states and CBD, Sh300 for households in middle income estates and Sh100 for informal settlements. Leaning institutions including nurseries, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities were supposed to pay between Sh3,000 and Sh65, 000 depending on the capacity in the initial document.
Politicians, preachers and corporates will dig deeper into their packets to conduct business on roads in the city streets and estates. Those using stationary trucks for shows will cough out Sh5,000 from Sh2,200 to acquire noise pollution permit.
Those using mobile trucks will pay Sh20,000 instead of Sh10,000 initially proposed by the executive.