Address suppliers’ arrears concerns once and for all – Business Daily
Construction of part of the Eastern Bypass road as it cuts across Membley estate in Ruiru. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NMG
It is a shame that after numerous calls including a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta, suppliers have still not been paid even as a political transition looms.
That public entities are holding over Sh500 billion in overdue debts owed to private contractors and suppliers, is, to say the least, as baffling as it is unconscionable.
The Executive’s directive that pending bills be the first charge on budgets has largely been ignored on numerous occasions leaving businesses and individuals stone broke.
Some have had to close shop while others have been auctioned for failure to clear debts they accrued while doing business with the government. In some cases, Kenyans employed in such companies have lost their jobs, leaving many households with no safety net.
The radical measures that the Treasury announced in 2019 seemingly have not yielded much as many suppliers are yet to receive their payments. We call on the outgoing administration both at the national and county level to fast-track payment of pending bills to rescue some businesses from collapsing.
We also urge the next government to put in place strong payment systems that will ensure companies that do business with the State get their payments promptly.
