On October 14, the Prime Minister announced the following quick wins out of the 4th Prime Minister Round Table discussions:

• All ministries were directed to hold regular Ministerial Stakeholder Forums (MSFs) at which sectoral issues affecting private sector will be thrashed out;
• The Government will look for funding to clear the VAT refunds backlog which currently stands at Ksh. 6 billion.  The Prime Minister further instructed the Ministry of Finance and the Kenya Revenue Authority to come up with mechanisms to ensure that backlogs are prevented in future;
• Companies with a dubious past will be blacklisted and not eligible to apply for government tenders in future;
• Within three month the Ministry of Labour will have developed the rules and regulations to implement the new labour laws;
• The Ministry  of labour will have developed a skills inventory by March 2010;
• Regulators will cease being revenue generators and revert back to their role as creators of a level playing field and service providers;
• The process of restructuring National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) will be fast tracked;
• The Ministry of Environment will review the other regulations that are in direct conflict with Environmental Management and Coordination Act;
• The Ministry of Environment will nominate three private sector participants to the official delegation to COP 15 meeting on Climate Change to beheld in Copenhagen in December;
• The Government will include three private sector representatives in all future official trips nominated through KEPSA.

In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister urged the private sector to speak with one voice and avoid double talk that deters potential foreign investors. “We accept criticism but it must be constructive,” noted the Prime Minister.

He further directed that for each round table an officer from the office of the Prime Minister captures the commitments made by each group. “My office will then roll out a 100-day rapid results initiative to ensure that ministries deliver on the commitments pledged,” said Hon. Odinga.

The Private sector welcomed the move and noted that it was looking forward to results and continued collaboration with the Government.

The Prime Minister’s Round Table with Private sector was established in August last year to address key constraints to business which cut across ministries and are documented in the National Business Agenda (NBA). The NBA identifies key challenges facing the business community in Kenya and proposes actions to create a more conducive environment for business, in order to make Kenya more competitive.