Plans to construct aggregation and industrial parks across all the 47 counties at a cost of Sh500 million each are at an advanced stage with the first phase expected to commence in July. Trade and Industrialization Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria said the national government will put in half of the amount with the devolved units expected to cater for the other half. He said construction would be done in two phases with the first one being done on a first come first served basis where counties that will have their allocations in place on time will be given priority. The CS said the development is aimed at boosting agriculture production by adding value to farm produce before sale locally and internationally that will also assist in curbing postharvest losses for perishable products. Speaking on Tuesday in Embu Town during the official opening of ‘Embu Mega Business Expo’, Kuria said the Government would also play the lead role in sourcing the best markets for farm produce to ensure farmers get value for their commodities. ‘The government is committed to ensuring our farmers are supported in every possible way to make farming an attractive venture and also boost food security in the country,’ he said. He at the same time said the government would also go out of its way to protect local industries and traders from unfair competition by imposing taxes on imports that are produced locally, saying this was the only way of ensuring local manufacturers are able to survive. Meanwhile, the CS said he will send a proposal in the National Assembly to remove the ban on exportation of raw macadamia that has occasioned a dip in prices to Sh20 a kilo down from Sh150 a year ago. He said this had exposed famers to brokers who buy their macadamia at a throw away price given that they do not have the capacity to do value addition. Chamber of Commerce President Richard Ngatia in his speech urged the Government to support entrepreneurs in Kenya with regulatory frameworks and policies that will support the business environment in the country to enable Kenya compete with other countries in Africa. He also called upon the Government to support entrepreneurs in Kenya with policies that will support the tax regime not to be harsh to the business people so that they could be able to scale their businesses. Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire said that she will make the Embu Mega Business Expo an annual event in order to expose the local entrepreneurs to the international markets. Mbarire added that the expo would offer invaluable insights and exclusive networking opportunities with a wide range of opportunities and with a wide range of business-critical presentations from top industry experts.
Source: Kenya News Agency