Tourism to get boost

Story by LUCAS BARASA
Publication Date: 3/15/2007
The Nation

The Government plans to waive taxes on new investments in tourism, to boost the sector.

Tourism and Wildlife minister Morris Dzoro, said new investors will no longer be required to pay taxes, so as to attract more investments in the industry.

Speaking at Kenya’s stand at the International Tourism Bourse in Berlin, Germany, during the weekend, Mr Dzoro said: “The Government is now devoting a substantial amount of exchequer resources into the development of tourism, and stepping up efforts to encourage investments in the sector.

So far, the Government has identified 20 high priority tourism projects, which have great potential in addressing this need. In this respect potential investors have a range of prime investments to pick from,” he said.

The annual event attracted more than 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries and 7,000 journalists. The minister was accompanied by Kenya’s ambassador to Germany Mutuma Kathurima and Kenya Tourist Board chairman Jake Grieves-Cook. The managing director Ongong’a Achieng, was also present.

Mr Dzoro said infrastructure was a critical concern to the industry, but said rehabilitation and construction of roads was going on, with priority being given to tourism circuits.

On security, specially trained police officers had been deployed to the main areas and access routes used by tourists, Mr Dzoro said.

Kenya received praise from renown world peacemaker and former Germany politician Rudolf Decker, who described the country as best and safest tourist destination in Africa.

Mr Decker, has been to Kenya 40 times.

hope that the mass tourism won't get wilder!
mr. decker must have been either joking or sarcastic!
being to afrika more than 40 times without being shot or robbed doesn't necessarily mean it's safe. it was just luck and not being in the wrong place at the wrong time!
the incidents speak for themselves!

Pippa:

The thing that grabbed me with this article is that the government is going to allow new investors to pay no taxes (I presume this means income taxes). If they aren't going to tax new investors on money they make, how on earth is the government going to increase its income in order to help its poverty striken people?

I wonder how many foreigners will fall for this and open a new business in Kenya? How will it effect wildlife and the environment if many decide to take them up on it?

The improvement of roads and security is the usual line they give out. They can't even keep their own people safe so how do they think they are going to better protect the tourists? Also, one wonders how well the roads can be fixed, and how many roads done well when thousands of people are being hired to do it manually?
We've all seen the mess created on the road to JKIA with little squares cut out in the road and many people running around, some with little hand rollers, trying to patch it. There is no way humans can do the job as well or as fast as huge tarmac spreaders, steam rollers, etc.

Only time will tell.

jan,
right!
means the investors won't have to pay any taxes on profit etc. maybe they even get taxpayer's money in order to invest. believe it or not: happens in europe all over the place! e.g. poland, a new eu-member, says the same : no taxes or extremly little! so companies shut down let's say in germany, send thousands of people to the government for social welfare and the companies open up business in poland. and the mess is payed for by besides others german taxpayers! it's absolutely bizarr what governments do to get "investors".
on the other hand kenya receives huge amounts from german taxpayers under the umbrella of "foreign aid".
but only kamikaze-investors are going to invest i guess..........