The Kwale county government has announced 30 days extension of tax waivers to cushion businesses from the economic slowdown occasioned by the coronavirus outbreak.
The move announced by Governor Salim Mvurya on Monday comes after the earlier 60-day waiver aimed at mitigating the covid-19 pandemic ended last week.
“We are extending a number of business tax waivers due to the impact of the novel coronavirus,” he said while flanked by County Commissioner (CC) Karuku Ngumo and County Police Commander (CPC) Joseph Nthenge.
The governor who made the announcement after chairing a covid-19 meeting at the county headquarters in Kwale town noted that many businesses were still struggling with reduced cash flow due to the emergency health crisis.
Mvurya announced the extension of the waivers on penalties for land rates and interest rates for single businesses, suspension of charges for market entry fees and suspension of market stall fees.
Others include the suspension of monthly parking fees for Matatus, Tuk Tuks, and Boda bodas and the suspension of the daily parking fees for private motor vehicles.
The governor who co-chairs the county covid-19 emergency response committee with the CC said the decision to stay the waivers was informed by poor business environment.
“We have realised it is not yet conducive to withdraw the waivers when we still have the viral disease,” he said adding that the tax waivers were effected as a relief measure in response to the covid-19 pandemic.
He said it was not wise to end the tax measures at a time fears of contracting the disease have slowed down socio-economic activities around the country.
Mvurya also announced the reopening of all open-air markets and livestock markets which were closed three months ago as a result of the pandemic.
He added that the reopening of the markets will follow guidelines developed by the public health department.
