KUPPET calls on the government to shelve the finance bill 2023

Makueni, Wednesday, May 10, 2023

KNA by Patrick Nyakundi

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Makueni County Executive Secretary Justus Kimeu has expressed reservations over the government’s plans to introduce 3 percent tax on teachers’ salary for House Development Fund saying it will impoverish them.

Mr Kimeu noted that many teachers have taken loans to construct houses and are repaying loans to financial institutions saying they cannot afford any more additional deductions from their salary.

“Teachers are already being deducted Pay as You Earn at 30 percent, provident fund 7.5 percent and now the proposed 3 percent house fund and 2.7 percent national hospital insurance fund. It is like the employer has taken half of the salary of the teachers,” lamented Kimeu while speaking to the media at his office in Wote town on Tuesday.

“They are forgetting that teachers have already built houses through loans from banks and Saccos besides paying for their membership. This is beyond the teachers’ ability to pay due to many loans they have,” Kimeu posed.

The Kuppet branch executive secretary called upon Members of Parliament to reject the Finance bill no. 14 of 2023 once it is brought to the floor of the House saying they should support teachers since they voted for them hence the need to stand with them.

“I urge members of Parliament to reject the finance Bill of 2023 that is going to cause injury to workers through taxation. Many workers in the country are on their knees, they will suffer if the parliamentarians approve it. It should be voluntary,” he added.

At the same time, Kimeu noted that the teachers were never consulted and there was no public participation on the same

He said that teachers are coming from difficult times occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic besides removal of fuel subsidies by the government that has led to high cost of living in the country.

Kimeu warned that if the government fails to shelve the deduction from the teachers’ salary, then they will have no option but to urge their members to resort to industrial action.

“If the worst comes to the worst and the government implements this bill, then we will ask our members to take the next course of action not limited to mass action and demonstrations and even boycott of work,” warned Kimeu.

Courtesy; K.N.A