Kenya has raised its tax revenue forecast for the financial year ending in June 2017 by 8.7 percent as efforts to boost collection start to pay off, officials said.
Economists said the forecast for this fiscal year was slightly too optimistic, saying there was evidence economic growth, estimated at 5.9 percent in 2016, was losing momentum.
Kamau Thugge, principal secretary at the Treasury, told Reuters the upward revision followed better-than-expected collection in the seven months to January.
“This trend in the actual collection through January 2017 is being reversed. Indeed we project that in 2016/17, ordinary revenue is poised to grow at an impressive 18.4 percent,” Thugge said. Read:
Related: Cabinet Approves Kshs 2.62 Tn Budget Plan for FY 2017/18
Kenya Can Lead The Way To Universal Health Care In Africa
Kenya is one of the countries that is yet to reach the Abuja threshold, but several indicators show that the country can be an inspiration for the rest of the continent in achieving UHC by 2030.
One of the steps in the right direction is the government’s move to eliminate payments for primary and maternal health services in public facilities. This has led to tangible improvements in maternal and child health, with maternal mortality ratio falling from 488 to 362 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2008 and 2014. Read:
No short cuts if Africa is to compete globally and see local dividends
Africa’s technological revolution will start in schools and research labs.
In the last few months, there has been a lot of discussion around the technological revolution and it s role in what the World Economic Forum (WEF) has dubbed the 4th Industrial Revolution. Before I go on, I want to make clear that Africa is not a country and therefore successes and challenges vary by state. Keeping this in mind, how will Africa fair in the 4th Industrial Revolution? Read: