KENYA COLONY

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4960, 25 February 1937, Page 4

KENYA COLONY

NO INCOME TAX LEVY. It will be of 'interest, but little compensation to the average New Zealander to learn that up to the present income tax has been an unknown quantity in the Government of Kenya. Now there come insistent rumours that it is to be introduced, some of the people with smaller incomes having been agitating for it. The news was brought to Christchurch by two visitors from Africa, Messi’s. J. N. Pedley and C. C. Kent, who have come to New Zealand to investigate reports of the excellent fishing to be had. Many people, particularly retired army officers, had been attracted to Kenya by the absence of income tax in the past. Previously the only direct taxation payable in the Crown colony was in the form of a flat rate of 30s for all Europeans, old and young. Additional revenue was raised by indirect taxation, such as Customs taxation and petrol taxes. The flat rate of 30s had subsequently been replaced by a non-native graduated poll tax which was paid more in the nature of a tax on income. It seemed almost certain now that income tax would be substituted. “Legislation has not been passed,” said Mr. Pedley, “but it is brewing.” The collection of taxes from the Indians was a difficult matter. They numbei*ed about 50,000 in the colony, and. some of them were very wealthy. By nature they were just as averse to paying taxes as the white races, but they were much more astute at avoiding payment and the ruses they adopted were, to say the least, interesting. The white population numbered only a small 15,000 to 17,000 among 3,000,000 natives.