Plan to support women SMES venture into manufacturing

Lack of finance, appropriate business development services and absence of specialised professional and technical support have cited as some of the major challenges afflicting women SMEs in manufacturing.

Access to finance particularly remains the major cause of limited participation of women in industry, particularly the absence of innovative financial products for funding women start-ups in non-traditional manufacturing.

KRA cleared to assess tax in absence of documents

Taxpayers have the obligation to provide supporting documents to Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and in the absence of documentation, the agency is free to make its own assessment of tax liability.

The Tax Appeal Tribunal said in a ruling that the burden of providing supporting documentation lies with the taxpayer.

The law places the burden of providing supporting documentation on the appellant and in the absence of such documentation, the respondent is left with no option but to assess and apply the law as it did,” the tribunal ruled.

Merican Limited Joins NSE’s Ibuka Program

erican Limited, a producer of commercial food and beverage equipment solutions based in Nairobi has been onboarded onto the Nairobi Securities Exchange’s (NSE) incubation and acceleration program joining a group of ambitious companies looking for their next growth opportunity through the capital markets.

Merican Limited is joining the Accelerator Board of the program following a rigorous evaluation and vetting process making it the 23rd company to join the program since its launch in December 2018.

Kenya in agreement with IMF over standby credit

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Kenyan government have moved a step closer to agreeing on a new stand-by credit facility after the multilateral lender backed the government’s Sh161 billion budget cuts.

Cutting the wide budget deficit has been one of the conditions the Bretton Woods institution has placed on Kenya before it signs off on a new precautionary facility that works as an insurance against shocks hitting the economy.

Kenya is keen to secure a new stand-by credit agreement with the IMF after the previous one expired in 2018.

World Bank creates Sh1trn funding pool in coronavirus fight

The World Bank Group has created a financing pool of Sh1.23 trillion ($12 billion) for developing economies as coronavirus spreads to more than 77 countries.

The package — which includes a concessionary credit line and a grant — is designed to help member countries take effective action to respond to and where possible, ease the tragic impacts of the virus, the bank said in a statement on Wednesday.  Read more

Corona Virus spares Kenya’s financial market – NSE

Odundo says that current trading trends reflect normal market cycles and portfolio shifts between emerging and frontier markets, as investors look to take profits during this reporting period.

“We are confident that the market will correct itself in due time. I urge investors to take up this lucrative opportunity to own a piece of Kenya’s most profitable companies at these reduced prices” he added.

Digital Lenders Launch Money March to Offer Kenyans Financial Literacy

Dubbed MoneyMarch, the month-long event is dedicated to conversations around financial health and wellness.

“Kenyans today have more choices than ever before, but they also face more risks when it comes to managing their financial lives. MoneyMarch is a moment to bring providers and customers together to discuss how we can best leverage digital credit and other services to help consumers and entrepreneurs grow and work towards their goals,” explained DLAK Chairman Robert Masinde.

Kenya’s Bright Economic Future Despite Current Inadequate Money Supply

The macroeconomic stability is expected to continue with inflation expected to remain within the target range at around 5% in 2020 and 2021.

Kenya’s fiscal deficit will also narrow in 2020 and 2021 reflecting favourable weather, continuing foreign direct investment and the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

However, challenges to Kenya’s economic transformation remain in manufacturing, agriculture, the labour market, and macroeconomic stability.