MURKOMEN has totally lost touch with reality as he incites RUTO to make hustlers’ lives even more difficult – Look!

 

Thursday, June 13, 2024 - Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has urged President William Ruto to make the lives of hustlers even harder.

This is after he proposed to increase the Fuel Levy Charge from the current Ksh18 to Ksh25 per litre, in the current Finance Bill 2024.

The new proposal could see fuel prices increase by Ksh7 per litre.

While addressing the Finance and National Planning Committee of the National Assembly, Murkomen emphasized that the current fuel levy rates which have remained unchanged since July 2016, no longer reflect the escalating costs of road construction and maintenance due to inflation.

The proposed adjustment is part of the Finance Bill, 2024, and Murkomen underscored the urgency, stating that the current rates have eroded the levy’s purchasing power over time.

The tax, known as the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), is applied at the fuel pump, where it stands at Ksh18 per litre of petrol and diesel, with Ksh3 allocated to an annuity fund, and the remainder directed towards road maintenance, rehabilitation, and development.

Murkomen noted that increasing the fuel levy to Ksh25 per litre could halt the rising maintenance backlog and generate up to Ksh115 billion annually for road improvements, compared to the current Ksh83 billion.

He also stated that the additional revenue from the levy increase would be instrumental in bridging the Ksh315 billion road maintenance financing gap projected over the next five years.

Although this move aims to raise much-needed funds for road maintenance, its repercussions could ripple through the economy, causing a hike in commodity prices and electricity costs.