Kenya, India to enter revised double taxation avoidance pact
Kenya and India will enter into a revised agreement for the avoidance of double taxation on Monday when President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India preside over the signing of several agreements on Monday.
At a press briefing on Sunday, President Kenyatta’s spokesman Manoah Esipisu said other agreements would also be entered into with Kenya looking to tap into India’s dominance in the health sector and in e-commerce.
“Every Kenyan knows that both countries have long worked together in healthcare. We expect to make progress in formalising and deepening that cooperation, for the mutual benefit of both our peoples.
India’s government has also entered a joint venture with the African Union under the Indian-Africa Forum Summit initiative, to support tele-education, telemedicine, e-commerce, e-governance, resource mapping and meteorological services. Kenya will be looking to extend the relevant agreements tied to that project, and we will also be looking to deepen our cooperation in ICT,” Esipisu said.
He further stated that both countries were working towards strengthening their collaboration together with other Indian Ocean countries.
“Both countries are Indian Ocean economies. In the past, the ocean has been a crucial corridor for trade. Kenya and India are working together on agreements to strengthen their blue economies, in association with other Indian Ocean states,” he stated.
Several other negotiations Esipisu said, would likely also be entered into by the respective chambers of commerce. “Kenya’s National Chamber of Commerce and India’s Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry have signed agreements in the past. We will now encourage them to renew their relations, so that Kenya and India can benefit from each other’s expertise, experience, and strategic investment.”
Kenya Esipisu said, would also be seeking to seal a preferential trade agreement. “Kenya will also urge that our goods be granted preferential status by the Indian authorities.”
