COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has called upon the new National Treasury and Planning CS John Mbadi against implementing International Monetary Fund(IMF) conditionalities blindly.
In a statement on Wednesday, Atwoli urged the CS to approach IMF conditionalities with caution and understand their implications to the citizens of Kenya.
“The Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), COTU (K) wishes to strongly caution the new National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Hon. John Mbadi, over the potential implications of the IMF’s conditionalities on our countries economy.
“Historically, following the IMF’s advice without scrutiny has led to adverse effects on the citizenry and workers. We draw an important lesson from the regime of former President Hon. Mwai Kibaki, which approached IMF recommendations with a balanced perspective, ensuring that the welfare of the citizens remained a priority,” the statement read in part.
Atwoli noted that fully implementing IMF’s economic and finance adjustments advice will not be a success.
“IMF conditionalities often involve measures that place undue financial strain on the citizenry, primarily through increased taxation and the so called austerity measures. These actions not only lead to social unrest but also trigger widespread demonstrations as citizens grapple with the negative impacts on their livelihoods.
“The advice given by the IMF, if followed without adjustment to local contexts and needs, ultimately results in unrest, turmoil and thus social upheavals. COTU (K) warns against falling prey to tactics that would worsen the tax burden on Kenyans and create social upheavals,” Atwoli said.
This comes after Mbadi’s meeting with IMF Representative in Kenya, Selim Cakir earlier on Wednesday.
NEW TREASURY CABINET SECRETARY, HON. JOHN MBADI, SHOULD NOT IMPLEMENT IMF CONDITIONALITIES BLINDLY
The Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), COTU (K) wishes to strongly caution the new National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Hon. John Mbadi, over the potential implications… pic.twitter.com/B0caeZLdbN
— Francis Atwoli NOM (DZA), CBS, EBS, MBS. (@AtwoliDza) August 14, 2024
