Content creator Eddie Butita has remained adamant about his stance on the proposed Finance Bill 2024.
In a statement shared on Friday, June 14, 2024, Butita stated that creatives are not necessarily opposed to the bill but were calling for a ‘harmonised approach.’
“As a responsible citizen, I have raised some issues on the Finance bill, especially touching on the creative economy. I have engaged both formally and informally and I am confident action will be taken,” Butita said on his X.
Butita, Ruto camaraderie
Butita, an order of the grand warrior (OGW) recipient is seen as a contact person for the government and the creative industry, given his previous interactions with President William Ruto revealing their camaraderie.
The comedian recently accompanied President Ruto to the United States on an official trip,
In 2023, Ruto joked that Butita was earning more than his take-home salary as president. The content creator would later advise the President to monetise his Facebook account to earn from it.
This comes amid an active online campaign pressuring Members of Parliament and celebrities to voice their dissatisfaction with the proposed Finance bill set to be tabled in parliament on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
Finance Bill pinch
Some of the contentious clauses in the Finance Bill that have rattled content creators are the eco levy and the proposed excise duty on airtime and internet data.
In the eco levy, the f bill proposes to impose a tax on SD cards, CDs, microphones, and other sound recording equipment, projectors, monitors and TV and radio broadcasting equipment.
Content creators are hit the most by this proposal as the creative industry runs on equipment and the associated accessories.
Also, the proposal to drop the 1.5 per cent digital services tax to be replaced with a 20 per cent SEP tax on gross turnover seems to be another bone of contention with the creatives.
On June 9, 2024, a section of creative industry organisations sent a joint memorandum to parliament on behalf of some 8,000 people directly in the industry’s various fields as film, content creation, performing arts, music, art and literature.
In the memorandum, the organisations observed that if passed, the bill would harm the growth and opportunity within the creative sector which contributes five per cent of the country’s GDP.
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