§ Mr. Brockwayasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what indirect taxation is levied in Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika; what are the minimum wages for African labourers in each of these territories; and what is the estimated average annual cost of direct and indirect taxation to African labourers in each territory.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe revenue raised from indirect taxes in each of the territories during the East African financial year 1954–55, the last year for which final figures are available, was as follows:
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Beer per 36 standard gallons (of worts) Shs. 180.0 Sugar (per cwt.) Shs. 5.60 c. Cigarettes, cigars, cheroots and cigarillos (per pound) Shs. 11.0 Manufactured tobacco, other than tobacco made up by the grower without the use of machinery, ready for smoking in tobacco pipes (per pound) Shs. 11.0 Matches: (a) in boxes or packages containing not more than 100 matches (per gross of boxes or packages) Shs. 1.44C. (b) in boxes or packages containing more than 100 but not more than 200 matches (per gross of boxes or packages) Shs. 2.88 c. (c) in boxes or packages containing more than 200 matches (for every gross of 100 matches) Shs. 1.44 c. Statutory minimum wages for African labourers in urban areas in Kenya are as follows:
Area Basic Minimum Wages (per month) Minimum Housing Allowances (per month) Male employees aged 21 years and over Other employees Male employees aged 21 years and over Other employees Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Sh. cts. Eldoret Municipality … … 79 50 70 00 18 50 12 00 Kisumu Municipality … … 78 50 69 00 14 50 9 00 Kitale Municipality … … 81 50 72 00 13 00 8 00 Mombasa Island … … 79 50 70 00 18 50 12 00 Nairobi Municipality … … 85 00 75 00 20 00 13 00 Nakuru Municipality … … 80 00 70 50 16 00 10 00 Nanyuki Township … … 83 00 73 00 17 00 11 00 Nyeri Township … … 82 50 72 50 17 00 11 00 Thika Urban District … … 82 50 72 50 17 00 11 00 Only about a quarter of the workers in the areas affected earn as little as the minimum wage and the wages of many are considerably above the minimum.
There are no statutory minimum wages in rural areas in Kenya but a Committee has been set up to examine the wage structure in these areas and to consider the need for minimum wage-fixing. Employers are required to provide rations for rural labourers.
In Tanganyika there is no statutory minimum wage but a Board has been appointed to consider the question of a minimum wage in Dar es Salaam.
Up-to-date information on statutory minimum wages in Uganda is not available. I am asking the Officer Administering the Government for such information and will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
I am consulting the Governors of Kenya and Tanganyika and the Officer Administering the Government of Uganda with regard to the third part of the question and will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT any significant estimate which can be made.
All the above information is being referred to the Governments of the three territories and, if more recent data can be made available, it will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.