Covid-19: Mutahi Kahiga announces waivers for Nyeri businesses

The Nyeri county government has granted temporary waivers to local businesses to cushion them against the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) and market traders have received 50 per cent waivers on their monthly fees.

The PSVs will enjoy the waivers until the new anti-virus measures announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta are lifted, while the waivers on market fees are only for the month of April.

“The waivers and deadline extensions for this month are due to the hard economic times the Nyeri citizenry are undergoing because of the revision of Covid-19 containment measures,” Governor Mutahi Kahiga said.

Business permits

The county has also extended the March 31 deadline for payment of business permit fees by one month. The penalty is usually closure of businesses and/ or the arrest of the owners.

Further, all penalties on houses, stalls and shops over rent arrears will be cancelled for those who finish the payments by the end of the month.

The deadline for payment of land rates was pushed to April 30 and the 25 per cent waiver on liquor licence fees extended to June 30, according to a notice by the economic and financial planning department.

Past reliefs

This is not the first timeh Nyeri has waived charges for businesses in light of the pandemic.

Last year, land owners received a 100 per cent waiver on penalties on their land rates if they paid before the end of the year.

Further, the county granted waivers to micro, small and medium enterprises and decreased market fees, PSV parking fees, cess and land rates by two per cent.

Finance Executive Robert Thuo noted that the waivers will not affect revenue collection, with the county aiming for at least Sh1 billion, which will service the budget.

He explained that the cushions will ensure businesses do not close, hence a steady revenue stream for the county.

“Entrepreneurs will be able to continue transacting ... by the end of June, we will have received the money,” he said.

The county has so far collected Sh680 million in revenue, up from the Sh524.8 million recorded in the same period last year.