Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has announced that her ministry has introduced a range of incentives and strategies to attract both local and foreign investment in the tourism sector. Among these incentives is a duty exemption for hoteliers and restaurants on imported items, as outlined in the East African Community Customs Management Act of 2004.
Miano explained that the imported items must be engraved, printed, or marked with the logo of the tourist hospitality establishment importing them for its own use. She also highlighted that duty exemptions have been extended to tour vans used for tourist transportation, including sightseeing buses, overland trucks, and other vehicles, as well as VAT exemptions for licensed tour operators under the Finance Act of 2017. These exemptions apply specifically to locally assembled vehicles designed for transporting tourists.
She added, “Tour operators must purchase these vehicles before clearing them through Customs, and they must receive a recommendation from the competent authority responsible for tourism promotion. The vehicles must also meet the conditions stipulated under the Finance Act of 2017.”
