Opposition to meet over rejected Fuel Tax bill

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The Opposition will hold a parliamentary group (PG) meeting on Tuesday to decide on the rejected finance bill that was to defer implementation of Value Added Tax on fuel that has made transport costs soar.

Leader of Minority in the National Assembly John Mbadi said in Mombasa on Friday that the meeting will precede the afternoon session when the bill is expected back in Parliament as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta when he rejected it on Thursday evening.

“As Opposition, we are going to have a PG meeting on Tuesday morning to agree on the stand to take based on the recommendations from the President.

“If they are reasonable, we shall accept them but if they are not, then we shall take a position that will be against the President’s position,” Mr Mbadi said after a retreat for editors and Parliament at Serena Beach Hotel in Mombasa.

The MP further said he was not sure whether the President had rejected the VAT proposal on petroleum products.

“The indications I am getting is that he might have been in agreement with Parliament and I am being speculative here but there are other suggestions that he has probably put and wants to be acted upon by Parliament.

“So it is not easy to know the mood. But as leader of minority, I have an obligation and responsibility to whip our members on a particular direction once we agree on that position and hence the parliamentary group meeting that will precede the sitting on Tuesday afternoon,” said Mr Mbadi.

He also said that there was a proposal to bring a supplementary budget, which he said is also wrongly timed.

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