Governor Abdulswamad Nassir is appealing to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to accept staggered payment of tax from the Sh.3billion grant from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the intelligence transport system project to kick off.
The grant from JICA will enable Mombasa to implement an intelligence transport system that is aimed to alleviate traffic congestion by introducing a coordinated traffic signal control system including traffic sensors and conducting intersection improvement.
Nassir noted that Mombasa is a beehive of activities and needs proper management of its traffic flow.
“We need to plan now so that tomorrow we don’t create bottle necks,’’ he said in Liwatoni during the handing over of patrol boats donated by Japan presided by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“When the grants came through fortunately or unfortunately there is an element of tax that needs to be paid,” he said adding that their request to the national government didn’t bear fruit.
“The law only stipulates that the National Government has to chip in and pay for that amount to KRA and budget for that,’’ explained the Governor.
The Governor added because of the project’s impact they have accepted to take responsibility for the tax.
“The only thing that we would request considering that this is a grant that has been provided, KRA (should) accept that we pay over in a staggered period,’’ appealed the governor, adding that he has cleared all tax arrears with KRA.
By Sadik Hassan
