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{
"id": 1416461,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416461/?format=api",
"text_counter": 115,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Saku, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Ali Raso",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Much obliged Hon. Speaker."
},
{
"id": 1416462,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416462/?format=api",
"text_counter": 116,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you. Next is Hon. Geoffrey Ruku, Member for Mbeere North."
},
{
"id": 1416463,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416463/?format=api",
"text_counter": 117,
"type": "heading",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "TAX INCENTIVE CLAIMS"
},
{
"id": 1416464,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416464/?format=api",
"text_counter": 118,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Ruku",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13652,
"legal_name": "Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku",
"slug": "geoffrey-kiringa-ruku"
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"content": "GK (Mbeere North, DP): Hon. Speaker, I rise to request for a Statement regarding tax incentives claimed by Special Economic Zones (SEZs) developers, operators and enterprises."
},
{
"id": 1416465,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416465/?format=api",
"text_counter": 119,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Ruku",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13652,
"legal_name": "Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku",
"slug": "geoffrey-kiringa-ruku"
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"content": "Hon. Speaker, Pursuant to the Provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I rise to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning regarding the tax incentives claimed by Special Economic Zones developers, operators and enterprises by way of waiver and exemptions."
},
{
"id": 1416466,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416466/?format=api",
"text_counter": 120,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Ruku",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13652,
"legal_name": "Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku",
"slug": "geoffrey-kiringa-ruku"
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"content": "Hon Speaker, the Special Economic Zones Act of 2015 was enacted to inter-alia provide a framework for establishment of Special Economic Zones, the promotion and facilitation of global and local investors. The development and management of an enabling environment for trade and investments. Since the enactment of the Act, over 35 Special Economic Zones have been gazetted. Despite the large number of gazetted zones and massive tax incentives that they claim annually, the number of SEZs in the country seem to be incommensurate and the SEZs are characterised with low productivity which has made their impact indemonstrable. Further, the Special Economic Zones Authority website shows that only three of the gazetted SEZs are public while the rest are private. The foregoing state of affairs could be a pointer to a likelihood of a compromised integrity of SEZs. Unscrupulous land dealers purportedly selling land within SEZs without paying taxes and duties could exploit and woo unsuspecting Kenyans and investors into economic exploitation without any economic benefits. It is against this background that I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning on the following: 1. Could the Chairman provide a status report on the economic feasibility of each of the Special Economic Zone gazetted since 2015, including the identities of the promoters and beneficial owners? 2. Could the Chairperson provide a status report on the amount of land leased out or sold in each Special Economic Zone, the identities of the purchasers or leasers and whether the said purchasers or leasers have invested in the respective Special Economic Zones? 3. What are the number and types of jobs created for Kenyans by each of the zones, including the quantum of PAYE taxes paid each year? 4. What quantum of exemptions and waivers have been extended to each Special Economic Zone developer, operator, and enterprise in respect of corporation tax, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1416467,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416467/?format=api",
"text_counter": 121,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Ruku",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13652,
"legal_name": "Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku",
"slug": "geoffrey-kiringa-ruku"
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"content": "withholding taxes, and Value Added Tax (VAT), including VAT on imports and import duties for each year since 2015? 5. What measures have the National Treasury, the Kenya Revenue Authority, and the Special Economic Zone Authority put in place to forestall abuse of the Special Economic Zone scheme, including the reporting mechanisms? Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
},
{
"id": 1416468,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416468/?format=api",
"text_counter": 122,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The Chair of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, Hon. Kimani."
},
{
"id": 1416469,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416469/?format=api",
"text_counter": 123,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Kuria",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I thank Hon. Ruku for being seized of this matter. We created several incentives for SEZs and EPZs in this country in the Finance Act of 2023. However, we have seen a lot of gazettement of new and many SEZs and EPZs since that enactment. Some of them are even private people's properties. On the questions asked by Hon. Ruku, we would like to handle this matter comprehensively. Even if we approve, I request that we make it an inquiry instead of submitting and approving it as a Statement in this House. It is so that we make sure that we sort out the loopholes these unscrupulous businesses are using in our SEZs and EPZs, denying us the required revenues and making it uncompetitive to other businesses and manufacturers that do not necessarily operate within these SEZs and EPZs. As I have said, most of them have been gazetted irregularly. If we have to answer the five questions sought by the Hon. Ruku comprehensively, our request as a Committee is to make it an inquiry. We should visit those SEZs and EPZs to see the actual impact and the losses made to our revenue as PAYE, VAT, excise duty and all those other taxes. We should even inquire into the impact of that on export and the competitiveness of the products made in these EPZs and SEZs vis-à-vis those made by other manufacturers that do not necessarily operate in this privileged space."
},
{
"id": 1416470,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1416470/?format=api",
"text_counter": 124,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Hon. Chairman. I will exercise my discretion under Standing Order 218 and I accede to your request. You may proceed under Standing Order 218(2). The Committee can proceed as you have proposed. I will give a time limit of a month. Yes, Hon. Jared Okello. Is your point of order on something related to this or is it totally different?"
}
]
}