CS Murkomen Wants Number Plate Charges Increased by Ksh7,000
Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen revealed intentions on Monday to increase the fees associated with obtaining vehicle registration plates.
During an interview with Citizen TV’s Trevor Ombija, Murkomen stated that the proposed rise in fees was due to the increased expense of the metal plate and the aim to aid the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in fulfilling its responsibilities.
As per the Communication Service (CS), individuals in Kenya who wish to obtain new number plates might face an increased fee, potentially surpassing Ksh10,000, compared to the current cost of Ksh3,000.
“If I bought a car for 1 million and I am told only Ksh10,000 for the number plate, I don’t think that is too much for it,” noted the CS.
“The cost of the metal plate has gone high. You cannot continue charging 1,000 that was charged maybe 10 years ago,” he added and divulged that he had formally tabled his proposal in Parliament, but it was yet to be subjected to public participation.
At present, the NTSA imposes fees of Ksh3,050 for new plates for car owners and Ksh1,550 for those owning motorcycles.
Why Increase Number Plate Charges?
The CS and Ombija were debating on the charges of vehicle maintenance, with the latter stating that motorists can spend up to Ksh80,000 to change the color of a car.
In the analogy, Murkomen added that a motorist who considers changing the paint color and spending money on what he argued was a luxury can afford to pay for hiked number plate charges.
“By the time somebody has the luxury to change the color of a vehicle, that person has the resources,” Murkomen claimed, adding that motorists pay for number plates once.
However, Ombija argued that a motorist can also incur charges when transferring ownership of the vehicle, to which Murkomen differed, stating that there was a need to improve service delivery.
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“Change of ownership… the same. It’s like a transfer. If you were to buy land today, you are going to pay 4 per cent in Nairobi to do something called stamp duty. In the same manner, I don’t know why it would be difficult for a person who was able to change ownership of a vehicle to pay a transfer fee.
“All these things are meant to make sure the services that are provided by NTSA in terms of safety, registration, and supporting the technology that we have employed to make sure people can get car searches in good time. All these services require resources. We don’t want NTSA to go back to the Treasury and tax the same people (motorists) and all Kenyans, including Mama Mboga, for a service consumed by a specific number of people.”
Murkomen further argued that NTSA charges cannot remain constant for 10 years and there was a need to adjust, based on different factors.
CS Murkomen Wants Number Plate Charges Increased by Ksh7,000