East African Business Week (Kampala)
Cedric Lumiti
25 February 2008
Nairobi — Kenya's ICT ministry has written to the East African Community (EAC) committee on Transport and Communication (EATRANSOM) to zero-rate all ICT equipment entering the region.
Permanent secretary, Dr. Bitange Ndemo told East African Business Week recently that the move would spur fast growth of the ICT sector in the region which would translate directly into economic development.
"We have written to them on the need to give tax incentives to the sector as it holds much potential for employment and the general economic development of the region," said Ndemo.
According to the permanent secretary the TRANSCOM committee has already has already responded promising that the agenda will top their fourth coming sub- meeting to be held in Arusha next month. The committee holds meeting every three months.
If implemented, the incentive would attract much investment in the sector touted as the fastest growing in developing economies.
In the last financial estimates for Kenya, finance minister zero-rated tax on all computers and other ICT equipment imported into the country in a move that has seen the sector accelerate its growth.
The move has also served to empower the local computer assembling plants in a strategy that will drastically reduce the cost of computers in the country.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 East African Business Week. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
