By Juliet Jerotich

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are asking the government to remove taxes imposed on charitable donations aimed at helping the vulnerable in society.

The chairperson of the NGOs Coordinating Board Stephen Kipchumba Cheboi says the NGOs are usually committed to providing services to all communities in the country.

Addressing the press in Mombasa, he said as a board, they are assisting all NGOs to get specific services from the government to ensure that different communities in Kenya get their charitable donations.

“As a coordination board, we are making sure that we talk to the government on taxes imposed on specific goods to be reduced and also give us waivers on donations,” Cheboi said.

He further noted that they are working on reaching out to the Treasury, on behalf of the NGOs so as to intervene on specific issues related to donations.

According to Cheboi, there was the need for a waiver on taxes imposed on charitable donations received by NGOs due to the fact that Kenya was the first country to enact the Non-Governmental Act, and that other countries have been benchmarking on them.

He also called for the implementation of the Public Benefits Organization Act, of 2013. The Act, the NGOs Coordination Board chairperson says, if implemented will move Kenya a step further from other countries.

“We want to make sure that we are a step ahead and have so many acts implemented to facilitate our work as NGOs in Kenya,” Cheboi said.

He also called upon the government to join hands with NGOs in helping Kenyans who require different support.

“We want to make sure that we reach out to people in our country who require our help and therefore we will make sure that we work with the government together to improve on our plans,” he noted.

Currently, donations received by charitable organizations do not qualify as income chargeable to tax in Kenya. However, NGOs are required to pay taxes on donations they receive.