Cicero
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 20, 2016
- 2,924
- 3,074
Officials in Kenya remain tight-lipped over the fate of millions of shillings collected from sale of the region’s single visa even as the second year of trial comes to a close.
The National Treasury, citing stringent fiscal rules, has been holding the cash collected on behalf of Uganda and Rwanda since the three states started piloting a common tourist visa in February 2014.
Both Treasury secretary Henry Rotich and PS Kamau Thugge declined to respond to our queries even as official statistics show shift to national border passes as the standoff persists. The regional visa has netted only Sh40 million in two years.
Kenya is a gateway to the region. It receives hundreds of region-bound tourists by cruise ships and chartered planes is a top collection point.
Under the Kenya’s Constitution, however, tourist visa collection is regarded as any other public revenue which has to be surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.
The money in the Consolidated Fund can only be spent or shared out according to an appropriation Bill approved by Parliament.
“Kenya has not been able to remit any of the money collected in the last two years from issuance of the regional visa because we don’t have a legal framework to do so,” said Mr Alfred Kitolo, director of productive services at Kenya’s East African Community (EAC) ministry.
MY TAKE: Ina maana hawa viongozi hawakuwa wamediscuss jinsi ya kuhamishiana stahiki zao? Kweli viongozi wa Tanzania wajanja waliliona hilo tangu zamani wakaupinga wizi huu wa wakenya tokea mwanzo. Big UP TANZANIA!
The National Treasury, citing stringent fiscal rules, has been holding the cash collected on behalf of Uganda and Rwanda since the three states started piloting a common tourist visa in February 2014.
Both Treasury secretary Henry Rotich and PS Kamau Thugge declined to respond to our queries even as official statistics show shift to national border passes as the standoff persists. The regional visa has netted only Sh40 million in two years.
Kenya is a gateway to the region. It receives hundreds of region-bound tourists by cruise ships and chartered planes is a top collection point.
Under the Kenya’s Constitution, however, tourist visa collection is regarded as any other public revenue which has to be surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.
The money in the Consolidated Fund can only be spent or shared out according to an appropriation Bill approved by Parliament.
“Kenya has not been able to remit any of the money collected in the last two years from issuance of the regional visa because we don’t have a legal framework to do so,” said Mr Alfred Kitolo, director of productive services at Kenya’s East African Community (EAC) ministry.
MY TAKE: Ina maana hawa viongozi hawakuwa wamediscuss jinsi ya kuhamishiana stahiki zao? Kweli viongozi wa Tanzania wajanja waliliona hilo tangu zamani wakaupinga wizi huu wa wakenya tokea mwanzo. Big UP TANZANIA!