Maize Flour prices to drop after one week – CS Willy Bett announces

janet ndila

April 3, 2017 3:27 PM

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett has announced that prices of maize flour will drop in a week’s time after Maize imports start arriving in the country.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett

Making the announcement, Bett noted that the prices of flour had increased to Sh142 for a two-kg packet but allayed fears that the prices could hike further.

“If this continues, the prices of maize flour will be pushed to a high of Sh150 or Sh160 for a two-kg packet. The waiver of duty on imported maize by the government will curb this.

"Maize from Mexico is the cheapest in the market and it should help reduce the price of maize flour. We are also expecting imports from Ethiopia to start getting into the country soon through the Moyale border," Bett said.

Kenyans had been anticipating a drop in prices after Finance Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich while reading the budget, announced the removal of Value Added Tax on both bread and maize flour for the next four months.

Mr Rotich stated that the prices would be now cheaper and warned millers and bread manufacturers of a reversal decision if they failed to implement the new order.

“In order to make these commodities affordable for the common mwananchi, I propose to zero-rate bread and maize flour to remove VAT altogether.

“Manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers who sell such goods will be expected to reduce the prices of these basic commodities, failure to which, I will reverse the policy,” Rotich said while reading the Budget statement to parliament last week on Thursday.

janet ndila