Revenue losses exaggerated

The row over taxes and illegal trade in hides and skins has resurfaced. Acting Kenya Hides and Skins Association (KHSA) chairman Robert Njoka says: 'My predecessor Amos Ngonjo stated the industry loses an estimated Ksh10 billion in revenue annually to crooks in the industry. 'This is impossible. Even if all the animals in Kenya were slaughtered, the cumulative revenue would never reach that figure. I appreciate that some traders have under-declared values and weights in the past, but the figures being bandied around are laughable. It is just not possible for the industry to generate that kind of tax in the first place.' While tax evasion was rampant in the past, measures have been put in place to prevent it. Njoka denied that exports had forced tanneries to close. Kamiti Tanners closed due to the local community demands and Bawazir Tannery was forced to shut after directors pulled out. Many tanneries are said to be still operational but prefer to contract tan.