Land survey fees altered in amended county Finance Bill

By RENSON MNYAMWEZI

Members of the Taita-Taveta County Assembly have reviewed land survey fees in an amended Finance Bill 2013.

In the Bill, which was passed last week, the MCAs proposed numerous amendments to the controversial Bill that had earlier raised an uproar during public participation.

The Bill has now been forwarded to county governor John Mruttu to either assent it into law or reject it.

Under the proposed amendments, survey fees per plot have been reviewed. Residents will now pay Sh15,000 up from Sh10,000. This follows what had been earlier proposed by County Executive (CEC) Member in-charge of Finance and Planning Florah Mtuweta.

Boundary dispute resolutions fees have been lowered from the earlier proposed Sh5,000 to Sh2,000 while land transfer fees per plot will now be Sh5,000 down from Sh7,000 as earlier proposed.

Residents who want to replace beacons on their land will be required to pay Sh1,000 instead of the Sh2,000 proposal while correction of names and clearance certificate fees will be Sh300 and Sh5,000 respectively.

As per the amendments, those who want to change their land for other use will have to dig deeper into their pockets with the application fee costing Sh5,000.

Change of land from residential to commercial will cost Sh20,000 per plot, change from agricultural to commercial or residential will cost Sh30,000 per plot and change from commercial to industrial will attract a fee of Sh20,000 per plot.

Late application for extension of a commercial plot lease will now be charged Sh10,000 per plot, for agriculture Sh20,000 and application of extension of lease for commercial/residential will be Sh10,000 per plot.

Mtuweta had earlier proposed that changes of land use for commercial to industrial be Sh25,000 per plot, commercial to residential Sh30,000, industrial to residential Sh30,000 and residential to churches/mosque/temple Sh10,000.

She had also proposed Sh15,000 for extension of user per plot, Sh10,000 application for extension of lease and late application for extension for lease Sh100,000.

NEXT STEP

Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Mtuweta said the Bill had already been forwarded to the governor’s office and should soon be assented into law.

“We are studying the amendments of the Bill to correct errors. It is a good Bill as all public views have been incorporated in the document. The governor will definitely assent to it next week,” said the optimistic CEC member.

“Once the governor signs the Bill into law, we will gazette it and later give the local community 14 days before we start implementing the various new taxes and charges for services rendered to the public,” she said.

Governor Mruttu had in the past complained that delay in enacting the Bill had adversely affected the quick implementation of development programmes in the region.

He said establishment of the Children’s Protection Centre, among other development projects, had been impeded due to failure to pass the Bill.

The governor further observed that a donor is willing to construct the children’s home but the delay in passing the Bill has been a major impediment.

The project’s co-ordinator, Beata Mghendi, said donors from the Netherlands are willing to sink in massive resources to implement the project but they want survey fees waived by the county government.

“This is a key  project that aims to save the girl child’s education which is threatened by widespread child abuse cases in the region,” she said.