<font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, serif" size="4">Guys please consider that the PS may have been quoted out of context - seriously. The real culprit if there were any conspiracy with Safaricom would be the reporter and their editor. The article makes very little sense if any and its interesting how the editor got it published in its form. </font><div>
<font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, serif" size="4">Otherwise Bwana PS, on this one, it will be very difficult to argue against such REAL and RARE benefits to the bottom of the pyramid (most mwananchi) as the price cuts resulting from the competition. I have previously blogged arguments of this issue on these addresses </font><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap; "><a href="http://goo.gl/zv74A">http://goo.gl/zv74A</a> , </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap; "><a href="http://goo.gl/J4H29">http://goo.gl/J4H29</a> for those who have some more time to read</span></span></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, serif" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap; "></span> </font></div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div>
<font class="Apple-style-span" face="georgia, serif" size="4">Best regards </font></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 12:34 PM, Odhiambo Washington <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:odhiambo@gmail.com">odhiambo@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 11:42 AM, [Brainiac] <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:arebacollins@gmail.com" target="_blank">arebacollins@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
I seriously hope that this <a href="http://bit.ly/famTA5" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/famTA5</a> is just some fanatical reporting at Nation Media (would not be shocked) but if so, if these words came out of your mouth bwana PS, <div>
<br>
</div><div>THAT THE PRICE WARS IN THE MOBILE INDUSTRY MIGHT DERAIL THE NEW CONSTITUTION. </div><div><br></div><div>Are you for Real? Is that not cartel behaviour right there? So now what, are you going to "adjust" the lowest interconnection fees upwards to normalize all this? so that what? Safaricom can make more money? </div>
<div><br></div><div>Playing on the public with FUD now? what happened to market forces? who would run their company to a grind just to offer the cheapest? Revenue collection? how about we first spend PRUDENTLY what we collect? how about ALL of us pay taxes for starters? and why not just LOWER taxes and increase the tax bracket? </div>
<div> <br clear="all">I have never been disappointed like i have on reading this. </div><div></div></blockquote></div><div><br></div></div></div>On that article, the PS simply failed to reason like a technocrat. I am not sure what "hat" he was wearing when he said that.<div>
Quoting him:</div><div><Quote></div><div>"<span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:14px;line-height:18px">Citing the Kenya Revenue Authority’s recent failure to meet its 2010/11 first half collection target by Sh5 billion, the PS said the Airtel-triggered price war could not have come at a worse time.</span></div>
<div><font color="#333333" face="'Times New Roman', Times, serif"><span style="font-size:14px;line-height:18px"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);line-height:normal"><Quote></span></span></font></div>
<div><br></div><div>5billion is just 1billion more than the taxpayers money that (part of) the cabinet wants to spend on Mr. Francis Muthaura and Major. Gen. Hussein Ali on the Hague case. Talk of the govt paying for lawyers to defend its illegal actions.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I saw the Safaricom CEO on TV last night trying to persuade the govt from allowing Airtel's action, saying it will make the mobile industry unsustainable, leading to the govt losing on taxes. He emphasized that by saying that Safaricom is the leading taxpayer.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I see a conspiracy between Dr. Ndemo and Safaricom's CEO to stop mwananchi from enjoying lower call rates! How does "on-net" call tariffs within Airtel affect their bottom line? Are they scared of competition?</div>
<div><br></div><div>Anyway, back to the revenue bit: The govt already overtaxes Kenyans and we cannot use the mobile industry income as an excuse to not let wananchi enjoy cheaper call rates. Think of this. The govt imposes punitive taxes on used car imports in order to discourage dumping. The same govt does not see any reason to reduce takes on new car imports! So you pay higher taxes for a used Toyota Wish, but even higher when you bring in a new one from the show room in Japan! Does that make sense?</div>
<div>All employed persons contribute at least 30% of their salary to the govt in the form of PAYE.</div><div><br></div><div>Kenyans are dying of hunger. Powerful govt delegations then tour the affected areas "to assess the famine situation" (Daily Nation of 20110114, Pg. 8). Quantify how much they spent on this trip versus how much, if any, they gave to the dying Kenyans in the form of food relief. Are there no govt officials in those areas to give reports? (DC, DOs, District Committees). This is sheer wastage of revenue, yet the govt wants more revenue by taxing Kenyans more??</div>
<div><br></div><div>In this particular case, Dr. Ndemo should give us another, and better reason, why call rates should not go lower, not the excuse about govt losing revenue, thus derailing the implementation of the new constitution. </div>
<div><br>-- <br>Best regards,<br>Odhiambo WASHINGTON,<br>Nairobi,KE<br>+254733744121/+254722743223<br>_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ <br>Damn!!<br><br>
</div>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
kictanet mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet" target="_blank">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet</a><br>
<br>
This message was sent to: <a href="mailto:jkieti@gmail.com">jkieti@gmail.com</a><br>
Unsubscribe or change your options at <a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jkieti%40gmail.com" target="_blank">http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jkieti%40gmail.com</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><font color="#999999">My Blog - <a href="http://www.gmeltdown.com" target="_blank">www.gmeltdown.com</a></font><div><font color="#336666">'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''</font></div>
<div><font color="#999999">Keep on doing what you know is right ...</font></div><br>
</div>