A group of small scale businesses from Kisii County have urged the county government to chip in and help stabilise their businesses by reducing tax rates imposed on them.
Speaking on Tuesday near Igare Township, the traders dismissed the new rates and urged the county government to drop them since small and medium scale businesses were integral part of development in the county.
According to them, paying Sh8,000 annually as revenue was not an easy task, since they depended on the small businesses to support their children’s education.
“As the family of the small and medium scale businesses, we are not happy with payment of Sh8,000-10,000 which we are unable to pay. It is important for the county government to realize our contribution to thriving of the county and reduce the rates to affordable ones,” said Mr. Moses Mokua.
They urged the county government to develop a scheme of loaning SME businesses across the county since most of them are said to have formed groups that could be supported.
“It is difficult to access loans from Banks and the county knows that. They should set up a kitty that we can ask loan from at affordable interest rates,” added Mrs. Miriam Onchong’a.
The business family further called upon the county government to ensure small trading centres in the region were served with street lighting in a bid to boost business.
“As much as we thank the county government for its efforts to light our trading centres, many of them still remains in darkness and we call upon the leadership to install the lights as soon as possible in many trading centers that I cannot be able to mention now,” said Mr. Walter Ondieki.