Boda Boda operators in Vihiga County have been compelled to start paying levies.
Speaking during the meeting with the Boda Boda operators at the County Headquarters in Mbale, Richard Rapando, the County Revenue Officer said for the last two years Boda Boda operators have been operating without remitting tax to the County Government.
He said each Boda Boda operator is supposed to pay Ksh 200 per month as revenue to the County Government.
He noted that operators had tabled a few a grievances they wanted to be addressed by the County Government before embarking on paying taxes.
“They had issues like erecting shades, toilets in their work station, improved roads and police harassment that they wanted to be addressed by the last regime. That’s why they have not been paying tax”, Rapando said.
He said the current County Government is going to work on those issues to enable them commence tax remission.
Leaders of Boda Boda operators in the region remained adamant to the intimidation and insisted they will start paying tax when their demands are met.
They said there’s no single demand they fronted to the County Government that has been fulfilled adding that none of them will be forced to pay taxes.
“We have been suffering under police harassment, luck of proper shades and toilets, bad roads but none of the above has been worked on, we will only remit our taxes when all this demands are met”, They said.