Floral sector wants levy suspended
Xinhua
Kenya’s cut flower industry has urged the government to halt its newly introduced agricultural produce cess levy, calling it the biggest threat to the recovery of the flower sub-sector already reeling from Covid-19 shocks.
The Flower Council of Kenya (KFC) said Tuesday the increase in agricultural produce cess on all horticultural exports from January will dampen hopes for quick recovery of the country’s flower industry.
“We believe there is no justification for the increase of agricultural produce cess.
There is no sign of added value or service from the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) to exporters that warrants the increase,” said KFC Chief executive Clement Tulezi in a statement.
The industry, a representative body for growers, exporters and relevant cut-flower and ornamental value chain actors, is already experiencing the impact on the restriction of movement of people in the destination market countries.
The move comes after the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) in a letter dated December 30, 2020, directed all exporters of horticultural products to pay from January 1, 2012 Agricultural Produce cess based on the free on board (FoB), and not the quantity, in line with the new horticulture (Crops) regulations.
These regulations, Tulezi said, have increased cess levy from the previous 30 cents ($0.003) per kilo to 0.25 per cent of the customer value.
Upfront cess payment
According to Tulezi, this translates to at least four times what exporters had been paying until December 2020.
The letter directs exporters to make payments of cess upfront on pre-payment accounts.
It advises exporters to put an advance payment for the levies in order to avoid being inconvenienced.
“As countries have in the past five months gradually lifted the lockdown and eased restrictions, demand for cut-flowers has been picking up in most destinations.
However, this move will definitely erode gains made by the sub-sector and set it back downhill,” Tulezi added.
