The Kenyan lawmakers could implement a 3% tax on crypto transfers and 15% levy on the monetization of digital content.
The government of Kenya plans to impose a 3% tax on cryptocurrency transfers to narrow the fiscal deficit of the country and boost its domestic revenues.
Kenya is among the leaders on the African continent in terms of crypto adoption. Patrick Njoroge – Governor of the Central Bank – has previously suggested that bitcoin could solve the nation’s problems with its depreciating official currency.
Crypto Included in the New Bill
The proposal is part of a newly-designed bill that could stabilize the financial condition of the African nation. President William Ruto aims to double tax collections to 5 trillion shillings (around $37 billion) in five years and use the funds to promote monetary growth.
The legislation will become official from the beginning of July should the Kenyan lawmakers give their nod. The country estimates revenue of approximately $21 billion during the first 365 days (14% more than the anticipated collections for the ongoing fiscal year).
Kenya ranks as a lower-middle-income economy, with over 16% of its population living below the international poverty line. Economic inequality, health issues, and government corruption are the main factors for the negative trend. Despite its problems, it remains one of the most developed counties in eastern and central Africa.
Kenya: the African Crypto Leader
Contrary to the financial difficulties in the country, a substantial number of Kenyans have turned their focus toward the cryptocurrency industry in the past few years.
However, the UN could not determine the approximate value of digital assets held by Kenyans due to the lack of comprehensive regulations in the industry:
“The returns from cryptocurrency trading and holding are, as with other speculative trades, highly individual. On balance, they are overshadowed by the risks and costs they pose in developing countries. The sector is not regulated in the country and remains largely unregulated even in the developed world.”
“Our decision to shift to Bitcoin is both tactical and logical. Our currency has always been the punching bag for the IMF, which always claims that the Kenya Shilling is overvalued. This has led to too much pressure on the Kenyan Shilling, and this has a negative effect on the economy,” he said.