State invites public views on reforms to boost manufacturing, investment

The government on Thursday invited Kenyans to give their views on reforms geared towards boosting manufacturing, investments, trade and consumer protection.

Trade Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya announced that the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry will engage the public, traders, manufacturers, investors, experts, the private sector, civil society, professional bodies, academia and religious groups to get their views.

"During our interactions with various stakeholders, we realised that costs and procedures for domestic trade remain burdensome to trade and investments. It is for this reason we decided to do a public participation to collect proposals on policy and legislative reforms," Mvurya announced.

Mvurya explained that export performance in manufacturing is also struggling, and consumer protection and fair trade still exhibit incapacities across various sectors.

"Over the last 10 years, the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the GDP has declined from 15 per cent to 7.6 per cent. This has been attributed to several challenges including an unpredictable taxation regime and high cost of power," he said.

The Cabinet Secretary said for his docket to get solutions to the problems, he will organise meetings with several stakeholders up to September 27.

Speaking to journalists at his office, he noted his ministry has a huge task to play in promoting economic growth in the country.

Accompanying him were representatives from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Keda Ceramics.

Also present were Principal Secretaries Juma Mukhwana (Industry), Alfred K' Ombudo (Trade) and Abubakar Hassan Abubakar (Investments).

The docket is seeking proposals on how to attract direct private investment (both local and foreign), boost manufacturing, improve customer protection and enhance the performance of the export sector.

Mvurya's ministry will also hold discussions on the harmonisation of taxes within the manufacturing sector and measures to ensure the quality of products.

KNCCI national director Vishal Khagram announced that they are looking forward to sharing their proposals on improving the business industry in the country.

"We have been waiting for this. It allows us to give views on how we can contribute to the growth of the economy," he said.