Kenyan publishers urge Government to discard VAT on books
Kenyan publishers are calling for the removal of VAT on books.
In a bid to promote a reading culture and make reading more accessible, publishers have urged the government to scrap the 16 percent VAT on books.
In a press briefing, the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) chairman Kiarie Kamau noted that VAT makes books unaffordable.
“At 16 percent, this tax only serves to make books more expensive, hence unaffordable to the common mwananchi,” he explained.
“We call upon the government to scrap VAT on books, as a way of making knowledge affordable to all, hence promote lifelong learning, and grow the knowledge economy,” he added.
He also denounced the increasing book piracy in the country, and promised that KPA would work together with the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) to fight against the vice.
“We are still grappling with the menace of piracy, the digital products are sold at throwaway prices on social media,” he stated.
Speaking days before the 25th Nairobi International Book Fair, KPA vice chairperson Agatha Karani urged citizens to turn up for the fair, which will run from Wednesday to Sunday at Sarit Centre in Westlands.
