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  • Matonda urges the Government to Establish Fund To Promote Exports

    Matonda urges the Government to Establish Fund To Promote Exports

    Former Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI) Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Matonda has urged the national government to develop a fund that will boost Kenya’s export industry.

    Speaking during a public participation forum on the exports and investments promotion levy held at the Kisii Agricultural Training Center in Kisii town, Matonda said the introduction of the levy would be vital, noting that most developed countries have allocated funding to micro and small enterprises to enable them to add value to the local produce and develop their exports. He further said this is the best practice that needs to be emulated.

    “We produce a lot of agricultural crops, but we lose up to 40 percent during post-harvest thus any value addition which calls for funding should be considered, and that could be done through manufacturing where most of those products are for export,” he said.

    The Former CEO pointed out that Kenya has not fully taken advantage of international trade fairs, exhibitions, and World Expos to market the country’s export products due to a lack of dedicated and reinvested funds.

    Matonda said the fund would provide an opportunity for the development of exports including production, value addition, and packaging and further enable exporters, especially micro and small enterprises to showcase their products internationally thus benchmarking from other leading exporters.

    “The levy will also enable us to focus on import substitution with the products that are manufactured locally and increase the forex revenue,” he added.

    The Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry is conducting stakeholder consultation forums within the counties to receive comments from the public and stakeholders regarding the introduction of exports and investment promotion levies.

    The Ministry is also accepting written submissions from members of the public who are not able to physically attend the forum through the email address ps@industrialization.go.ke or through P.O Box 30418-00100 Nairobi by April 14, 2023.

    The proposed levy on certain import goods/products is expected to support local manufacturing and export development, incentivize investment by local SMEs, and contribute towards the reduction of the balance of payment deficit among other benefits.

    The levy will also complement other government policies and initiatives that are currently being implemented to promote local manufacturing such as Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative, National Industrialization Policy, and the Manufacturing Priority Agenda.

    Currently, Kenya has an untapped annual export potential of Sh. 450 billion which when fully exploited can create an additional 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, enhance our forex reserve and generate additional revenue for the exchequer.

  • Commodities set to go higher, Economy becomes tougher

    Commodities set to go higher, Economy becomes tougher

    Starting from March 5th April, following the agreement of the Excise Duty Excisable Good Management System Amendment Regulations 2023, prices of bottled water, and beer among 14 other products are set to increase.

    According to Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u, In the regulations gazetted, new excise stamp fees were published

    This means consumers will have to dig deeper into their pockets to access the products, at a time when city residents and parts of the country are struggling to access clean water

    Bottled water will now have a new exercise stamp of 0.5 shillings per stamp while a 3 shillings per stamp fee was imposed on beers, ciders, and mixtures of fermented beverages.

    “In the list are products containing nicotine or nicotine substitutes intended for inhalation without combustion or oral application but excluding medicinal products approved by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for matters relating to health,” read the regulations in part.

    Spirituous beverages of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 6 percent and compounded spirits of alcoholic strength exceeding 6 percent were also included in the list.

    “Regulation 3 of the Excise Duty (Excisable Goods Management System) Regulations, 2017 hereinafter referred to as the principal Regulations, is amended by deleting paragraph (1) and replacing it with the following new paragraph.

    “Every package of excisable goods manufactured or imported into Kenya listed in the first schedule to the regulations shall be affixed with an excise stamp,” read the regulations in part.

    According to the new charges, cigars, cigarettes, and electronic cigarettes were the most affected with a new exercise fee of 5 shillings per stamp.

    Stamps for wines and spirits were also set at 5 shillings per stamp while those of other non-alcoholic beverages will be charged at 2.2 shillings per stamp.

  • Smoke Free Alternatives key in curbing tobacco smoking

    Smoke Free Alternatives key in curbing tobacco smoking

    Ground-breaking success in the fight to reduce the toll of cigarettes in Sweden could provide major benefits for the rest of the world – and save the lives of millions of smokers here in Africa. Dr. Michael Kariuki of the Harm Reduction Society notes.

    “Sweden has begun celebrating its imminent status as the first developed nation in the world to become officially ‘smoke-free.”

    This is under guidelines that classify countries as smoke-free when the proportion of their population that smokes is less than 5%.

    Every country in the European Union has been working towards reaching this milestone by 2040. Most are on track to miss the target, but Sweden will smash it by a staggering 17 years.

    The Swedes have secured this historic achievement by developing a specific policy formula towards modern alternative nicotine products such as vapes and oral pouches for smokers. They have made these products as accessible, acceptable, and affordable as possible to adult smokers.

    The results are remarkable, Fifty years ago, 49% of Swedish men were smoking regularly. In the last decade, smoking rates in Sweden halved and reached a record low of 5.6% in 2022. Soon, that figure will fall below the totemic 5%

    How was this achieved?

    For many years, Sweden was able to reduce its smoking rate slowly through education, tobacco control measures, and the use of snus – smoke-free, oral tobacco.

    https://www.euro.who.int/data/assets/pdf_file/0008/343376/20170428WHOTobaccoFreeGeneration-DRAFT09.pdf Library of Congress, Sweden: New Rules on Smoking in Public Places and Sale of Tobacco Enter into Force, 2019. Statistics Sweden, Use of tobacco and nicotine products (self–reported) by age, gender and year, National Public Health Survey, 2022.

    It was the introduction of modern tobacco-free alternatives – vaping in 2015, and next-generation oral nicotine pouches which followed in 2018 – that turbocharged their smoking decline. In the last decade, smoking rates in Sweden have fallen by an astonishing 55%.

    The impact on public health in that country is evident.

    Compared to the rest of the European Union, Sweden has 44% fewer tobacco-related deaths, a cancer rate that is 41% lower, and 38% fewer deaths attributable to any cancer.

    Last month, global experts in tobacco harm reduction published a report showing that, if every other country in the EU followed Sweden’s example in its approach to tobacco harm reduction, up to 3.5 million early deaths in Europe would be prevented in just one decade.

    So how can we achieve similar success in reducing Kenya’s smoking rates and enjoy the subsequent reduction in the burden on public health?

    Here in Kenya, we are on course to miss our Health Ministry’s target of 9.7% smoking prevalence by 2025.

    Smoking rates remain stubbornly high at 13%( MoH 2022) overall – despite strict restrictions, which include the prohibition of smoking in public places and mandatory health warnings on packaging.

    We must acknowledge that it is immensely difficult for smokers to quit their habit, even when they are desperate to do so.

    The Swedes recognized this and set about increasing the ability of adult smokers to switch to less harmful products.

    Here, our policymakers maintain a ‘quit or die’ approach to tobacco control which is patently failing as it ignores the fact that alternative nicotine products are much less harmful than traditional tobacco products.

    As part of this approach, the Kenyan Government classifies vapes and pouches as tobacco products and subjects them to the same high taxes and marketing restrictions that apply to far more harmful cigarettes.

    Ramström, L. (2020) “Institute for Tobacco Studies. Death rates per 100,000 attributable to tobacco – Sweden and the rest of the EU in 2019. Compiled from The Global Burden of Disease Study”

    Snus Commission, Snus saves lives. A study of snus and tobacco-related mortality in the EU, 2017

    https://www.health.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kenya-Non-Communicable-Disease-NCDStrategic-Plan-2021-2025.pdf

    This flies in the face of scientific evidence. Vapes and pouches do not burn tobacco, thereby dramatically reducing exposure to disease-causing chemicals. Global research shows that tobacco-free nicotine products are about 95% less harmful than cigarettes.

    For this reason, we believe that alternative nicotine products should be regulated uniquely within a framework that recognizes their potential to reduce the health burden associated with traditional tobacco products.

    The ‘Swedish Model’ is an example of tobacco harm reduction being used to drive down smoking rates and dramatically reduce smoking-related diseases.

    To beat smoking like Sweden, we urge our politicians to support harm reduction strategies and make smoke-free alternatives more affordable than cigarettes, thereby removing barriers to switching. Similarly, health professionals and smokers should be educated in the science involved, so that they can make informed choices.

    Kenya can – and should – benefit from Sweden’s successful switch to smoke-free status. Our policymakers must simply apply the same evidence-based solutions that have already started to save millions of lives.

    Public Health England, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-cigarettes-around-95-less-harmful-thantobacco-estimates-landmark-review

  • KTDA Foundation hands over Ksh 1.44 million library project to Gitugi tea factory

    KTDA Foundation hands over Ksh 1.44 million library project to Gitugi tea factory

    KTDA Foundation head Sudi Matara during the handing over of a library facility to Gitugi Tea Factory in Nyeri County. 

    KTDA Foundation in partnership has handed over a library facility to Gitugi Tea Factory in Nyeri County to help improve the quality of education provided to students in the area.

    The Ksh. 1.44 million project consists of a total of 3143 CBC curriculum books (grade 1- 6), readers, installation of CCTV cameras, and librarian facilitation. All books have already been purchased, cameras installed and a librarian has already been identified.

    The library building where this handover ceremony is taking place was built and opened by the KTDA Foundation in 2016.

    Students from nearby schools have been invited to participate in the handover ceremony.

    Commenting on this Sudi Matara, Head of KTDA Foundation said “Providing students in tea communities with quality education is one of the main pillars of the foundation. In addition to the library project, we have also set up reading tents for students in the community to boost their confidence and expand their minds.”

    On a daily basis, 20-25 students visit the library on normal school terms and 50-75 students during school holidays. With the addition of books and other facilities, KTDA Foundation hopes to see the number of students using this library increase.

    “One of the main aims of this library is to help students revise for their exams by providing the necessary books and past papers. We expect to see the number of students passing exams increase over time.” He added.

    Some of the other projects the Foundation has done in relation to the education pillar include; offering scholarships to needy but bright students, providing adult literacy classes for farmers, and training teachers and students in digital literacy through robotics and coding.

    KTDA Foundation has three other pillars including Health, Environmental Sustainability, and Economic Empowerment and it has worked on a number of projects to fulfill these pillars for example giving grants to farmer groups to help them set up small businesses, setting up medical facilities for farmers and providing farmers with climate resistant tea clones.

  • Business conditions decline at softer pace in March- Stanbic Bank

    Business conditions decline at softer pace in March- Stanbic Bank

    The Kenyan private sector economy continued to run in contraction territory in March, the latest survey data showed, as business activity and new orders decreased for the second month running amid rising prices and cash flow problems. However, the rate of declines lessened somewhat from the initial downturn in February, while businesses signaled renewed uplifts in employment and purchasing.

    Nevertheless, inflationary pressures underlying the deterioration in economic conditions remained exceedingly sharp, with around 30% of businesses reporting an uptick in purchase prices linked to problems accessing US dollars and a worsening of exchange rates. The latest increase in costs sent output price inflation to a five-month high, while related mentions of imported goods shortages led firms to seek safety stockpiles.

    The headline figure derived from the survey is the Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI). Readings above 50.0 signal an improvement in business conditions in the previous month, while readings below 50.0 show a deterioration.

    At 49.2 in March, the headline index signaled a slight deterioration in business conditions at the end of the first quarter of the year and the second monthly contraction in a row. However, the rate of deterioration lessened notably from February, when the index dropped to a six-month low of 46.6.

    The softer decline in business conditions reflected weaker falls in both output and new orders during March. While many respondents continued to see demand fall due to high prices and a lack of money in circulation, others saw a recovery in customer orders, particularly from abroad.

    Sector data signaled that the latest contractions in output and sales were centered on wholesale & retail companies. By contrast, manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and services recorded expansions in both metrics.

    At the same time, the latest data signaled renewed rises in employment and purchasing in March, although growth in both cases was only mild. The rise in purchasing reflected some efforts to build inventories of inputs, as firms reported that difficulties accessing US dollars had led to a shortage of commodities and longer delivery times.

    Weakness in the Kenyan shilling against the US dollar meanwhile drove another marked increase in purchasing costs. Around 30% of firms saw purchase prices rise since February, with increased taxes and fuel prices also cited. Overall cost inflation remained among the highest seen since the survey began in January 2014, leading firms to raise their output prices at the quickest rate in five months.

    Finally, while the outlook for future business activity dropped to a three-month low in March, it remained strong and above the level seen throughout much of 2022. Firms often commented on plans to open new branches and increase capacity over the coming year, amid hopes that demand will begin to recover.

  • Introducing Samsung Galaxy A14 – A Phone For All Occassions

    Introducing Samsung Galaxy A14 – A Phone For All Occassions

    Samsung has announced the launch of the new Galaxy A14 featuring the latest innovation and technology that has become synonymous with Galaxy smartphones. This latest Galaxy A series comes with a large screen, an awesome camera, and all the essentials you need to stay connected. It looks and feels awesome as it delivers a truly special performance through its connectivity and design to give its users an overall amazing mobile experience at a great value.

    The Galaxy A14 features the tried and tested Galaxy signature design identity with a refined and polished camera deck. The flat linear camera housing seamlessly blends into the uni-body frame to complete the visually appealing silhouette. With a laser pattern back cover, the phone comes in beautiful colors that include light green, black, and silver.

    Awesome screen

    The Galaxy A14 boasts an enhanced, wider and sharper display with a 6.6” FHD+ large display and high resolution for immersive viewing. This is an improvement on the Galaxy A13 that it replaces, which had a 6.5” HD+ display.

    Awesome camera

    Each picture is captured with all its incredible details by the awesome triple-lens camera supported by the upgraded selfie camera. The 50MP main camera ensures that every detail comes alive in high resolution and you can snap the best of yourself with the 13MP selfie camera. Get a wider perspective and amazing details using the 2MP Ultra Wide Camera or capture the tiniest details, up-close and crisp with the 2MP Macro Camera.

    Large storage

    Enjoy the room to store more of everything you love with 4GB of memory and 64GB or 128GB storage. You can run more apps and save more of your favorite things with the Galaxy A14’s large and expandable virtual memory and storage. Save more photos, videos, music, and documents, and get up to 1TB of extra storage by simply sliding in a micro SD card.

    Longer-lasting battery life

    In life, once a moment has passed, it will never happen again – the Galaxy A14’s battery works tirelessly so you can savor all those priceless moments. You can certainly get more out of life with its 5000mAh capacity and longer-lasting battery. Be it shooting high-quality videos of the fun times or taking clear detailed pictures of yourself, your friends, or family, enjoying your music playlists, or streaming your favorite movies or shows, the Galaxy A14 lets you focus on doing just that and worry less about running out of battery power5, which runs strong for two days on a single charge.

    Privacy & Security

    Enjoy peace of mind in knowing that your device is safe and your privacy is protected with updates to the operating system and security features. Samsung provides 2 OS updates and Security Maintenance releases to maximize your experience with the latest features and the highest level of security.

    Availability

    Starting on 1st April 2023, the Galaxy A14 will be widely available in all Samsung dealer stores nationwide.

  • LG Electronics Cut Home Appliances By 21 Percent Ahead of Easter Celebrations

    LG Electronics Cut Home Appliances By 21 Percent Ahead of Easter Celebrations

    Customers will be able to save between Kes 7,000 and Kes 50,000 on select refrigerators and washing machines.

    The move aligns with LGs unwavering commitment to providing customers with the latest technology at affordable prices, meeting their needs, and exceeding their expectations

    LG Electronics East Africa has announced price cuts of its home appliances by up to 21 percent ahead of the Easter season.

    This means customers will be able to save between Kes 7,000 and Kes 50,000 on select refrigerators and washing machines. The highest save is Kes 20,000 (21%) on an 8KG Front load washing machine.

    The price cuts, applicable on refrigerators and washing machines will apply between 27th  March 2023 to 7th May 2023 and are aimed at ensuring customers receive not only quality but also affordable appliances that will help them to live the life that they deserve.

    Giving his remarks while making the announcement, LG Electronics East Africa Managing Director Dong Won Lee said, “As we approach the Easter Holiday, this is our way of showing appreciation to our loyal customers and welcoming new ones into our family. We believe that everyone deserves to have access to quality home electronics and appliances, and we are committed to making that a reality by offering these price reductions. Besides, this move aligns with our unwavering commitment to providing our customers with the latest technology at affordable prices, meeting their needs, and exceeding their expectations. We encourage everyone to take advantage of these price reductions and experience the LG Electronics’ differences”

    Other washing machines with a reduced-price tag include the 15kg/8kg front load washer and dryer that will retail with a Kes 29,000 price cut, and the 12kg front load washer which has an 8% price cut tag (Kes 13,000) embedded on it.

    Refrigerators retailing with a reduced price within the discounted period include the Instaview door-in-door and also side-by-side 635L refrigerator that will retail at Kes 50,000 less, the side-by-side 634L refrigerator that will retail atb14.1% reduced price (Kes 40,000) and the Top Freezer 254 L Refrigerator that has a 10.8% reduced price tag (Kes 10,000) among others.

    The discounted products will be retailed across all LG Electronics brandshops and leading electronic stores country-wide.

  • LG East Africa Eyes Reals Estate Market with Energy Saving and Sustainable Innovative Solutions

    LG East Africa Eyes Reals Estate Market with Energy Saving and Sustainable Innovative Solutions

    ·         LG’s smart home solutions seek to enable more Kenyan homeowners to control their appliances remotely, using their smartphones or voice commands.

    ·         The move is anchored on LGs 2023 blueprint that seeks to create innovation for a better life and ensure a sustainable future for all.

    LG Electronics East Africa has today reaffirmed its continued commitment to reimagining the future of the real estate sector in Kenya with innovative solutions that are helping to shape the way people live and work.

    The move is anchored on LGs 2023 blueprint that seeks to create innovation for a better life and ensure a sustainable future for all.

    Speaking during the 2023 Kenya Property Developers Association (KPDA) Conference LG Electronics East Africa Commercial Air conditioning Sales Director Mr.Erick Kiprono said, “We are excited to be part of Kenya’s growing real estate sector, which presents immense opportunities for innovation and development. So far, our contributions to the Kenyan real estate sector have been focused on providing smart home solutions, digital signage, and energy-efficient HVAC systems, that have helped to create a more sustainable and connected environment for homeowners, businesses, and property owners alike. Moving forward we are confident that our innovative solutions can help transform the sector by providing not only energy-efficient but also comfortable, and technologically advanced homes and commercial spaces.”

    Recently, LG’s smart home solutions have enabled Kenyan homeowners to control their appliances remotely, using their smartphones or voice commands. This has helped to create a more energy-efficient and secure living environment, which is a key selling point for real estate developers and property owners.

    Some of the solutions include LG’s digital signage technology. This can be used in commercial real estate to create dynamic and interactive displays that can attract and engage customers. It seeks to serve retail stores, shopping malls, and other commercial spaces by providing a unique and immersive experience for customers.

    Additionally, LG’s energy-efficient HVAC systems have helped Kenyan property owners to reduce energy consumption and costs. These systems can be integrated with smart home solutions to provide greater control over temperature and air quality, which can help to create a more comfortable living or working environment.

    “Embracing innovation in property design and developments has been critical in providing our clients with the best real estate solutions,” said KPDA Chair Mr. Ken Luusa. ” Looking ahead, we look forward to LG’s innovative solutions helping us to optimize our properties for maximum ROI while providing a more comfortable and technologically advanced environment for our tenants.”

    According to the Built Environment Report 2023 by the Architectural Societies of Kenya, the Kenyan real estate industry recorded a bounce back in 2022 after two years of a sharp drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds that there was an annual 6.8% rise in property sales from March 2022, which resonates with findings from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) which recorded a 6.4% growth in the construction industry in the same period.

  • COCA-COLA Rewards First Winner With A Year’s Worth Of Food Shopping

    COCA-COLA Rewards First Winner With A Year’s Worth Of Food Shopping

    The Coca-Cola system in Kenya awarded the first winner with a year’s worth of food shopping in Nairobi.

    Kevin Mituga, a Saika resident in Nairobi was announced as the winner in the ongoing promotion.

    Speaking at the award ceremony, Kevin Mituga said, “It’s a once in a lifetime chance to be able to win a shopping voucher for me and my family. I participated at least seven times but was not lucky. I emerged victorious on the eighth chance. I urge Kenyans to continue participating in the promotion for a chance to win big.”

    The campaign, which runs for 12 weeks, offers consumers a chance to win over 50 million Kenya Shillings worth of prizes, including cash (mobile money), airtime, and shopping vouchers.

    To participate, consumers need to buy a 1L, 1.25L or 2L bottle of Coca-Cola, Fanta, or Sprite and check under the green cap for a code. They will then need to send an SMS with the unique code found under the green cap to 40111 for a chance to win instant prizes and be entered into a draw for more prizes. The SMS to 40111 is free.

    In addition to the grand prize of a year’s worth of food shopping other prizes include instant cash, airtime and shopping vouchers, enabling consumers to share meal moments with their loved ones. The promotion seeks to inspire Kenyans to continue enjoying meal moments together with a Coca-Cola.

    Grand prize winners will be contacted through a dedicated customer care number to be advised on their winnings. To take part in the competition, consumers must be eighteen years and above and registered users of Safaricom, Airtel & Telkom.

  • Make your Story Eggciting at Achievers Paradise

    Make your Story Eggciting at Achievers Paradise

    Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Optiven Group George Wachiuri says

    “Experience the ultimate opportunity to achieve your dreams this Easter with Achievers Paradise by Optiven. Beautifully set in the heart of Kimuka, this exceptional project offers the perfect blend of convenience and serenity. Wake up to breathtaking sunrise views and enjoy the tranquil ambiance of Ngong hills.

    Choose from a range of residential and commercial plots that come complete with tarmac touch and an additional service lane at the back.

    And that’s not all! This Easter, Optiven is giving you an irresistible offer. For every deposit or installment payment of Kshs 500k, you get a fantastic shopping voucher worth 7k to make your Easter worthwhile.

    Call us today on 0790300300 or 0723 400500 to find out more.