By “Higher Taxes On The Rich Not The Poor” Fight Inequality Alliance
We are living in the age of inequality. From the increases in wealth amongst the richest across the world, to the broken lives of those living at the sharp end of the inequality crisis, our societies and our planet are under strain like never before.
Peoples’ Alternatives is a global collective effort to organise people across the world to build a different economic system for an equal future, to face the current crisis run by the greed of the rich and power[1]ful. The current economic system works for the wealthy few and not the rest of us.
“Higher Taxes On The Rich Not The Poor” Fight Inequality Alliance
Our Demands:
Higher taxes on the rich not the poor
The government must ensure that corporates pay taxes from capital gains and zero-rate goods and services that are disproportionately used by the poorest. The richest people and corporations, with the broadest shoulders, should pay the most tax.
The government should remove tax exemptions from items used mainly by the rich – for example VAT exemptions for helicopter and small aircraft spare parts.
Abundantly fund public services – education, health, and water On education
Education is a right not a privilege. We demand that the government prioritizes access and affordability of formal and informal education for all Kenyans regardless of social economic status. Merit and performance should determine who gets to pursue higher education and training not the ability to pay.
“Higher Taxes On The Rich Not The Poor” Fight Inequality Alliance
On health
Health is a right not a privilege. We demand that the “universal health care” initiatives at national and county levels focus on access, quality, prevention, and affordability to reduce the more often than not financially devastating cost of health care for families.
On water
Water is a right and a public good. We demand that the government stop following the common practices of commercializing and or privatizing water. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted inequalities – an economic justice issue for the poor and a gender justice issue for women, who are often the same – poor women bear the brunt of water injustice. It affects livelihoods, health, nutrition, and is a huge part of women’s unpaid care work. Cancel the Debt Debt is a tool of control and domination.
We demand that the government make public the details and conditions of loans acquired; reject austerity measures; harmful tax incentives; and seek debt rescheduling. High levels of debt are harmful because a large portion of government funds is spent on servicing debt instead of on development and essential services (health, education, water and sanitation) for the benefit of Kenyans.
Abolishing tax havens and tax dodging by corporations and the rich Tax heavens pose an immediate danger and threat – they are a safe harbor for our looted money. UNCTAD’s Economic Development in Africa Report 2020 indicated that every year, the continent loses an estimated USD 88.6 billion, equivalent to 3.7% of Africa’s GDP, leaves the continent as illicit capital flight through corruption by both multinational corporations and wealthy individuals.
The looted funds are a theft of quality health care, jobs and livelihoods, education, infrastructure, environmental protection, natural resources (oil, minerals, forests, gas), and more from Kenyan and peoples across Africa.
“Higher Taxes On The Rich Not The Poor” Fight Inequality Alliance
We demand that government ‘Stop the Bleeding’ – take immediate measures to close loopholes that allow tax dodging and the spiriting away of stolen monies to tax havens. Moreover, the government must pursue and return stolen resources, and further prosecute those (people and companies) that are implicated in this theft.
The Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) Kenya is a coalition of among others – rural & urban, climate justice, youth, women’s rights, artists, land rights, social justice movements, non- governmental and international non-governmental organizations fighting against inequality.
FIA Kenya works on the premise that the gap between the rich and poor adversely undermines access to resources, social services, and the protection of fundamental human rights. FIA Kenya uses the deep-rooted expertise available that is grounded in knowledge and lived experiences of inequality by marginalized populations to anchor our struggles for justice.
We focus on promoting the agency of, share the activists’ deep understanding of inequality, and offer both a solid foundation to build power for change and creative solutions, as well as workable alternatives to the status quo.
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