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{
    "id": 1003261,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1003261/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 345,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tigania West, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mutunga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13495,
        "legal_name": "John Kanyuithia Mutunga",
        "slug": "john-kanyuithia-mutunga"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to add my voice to what my colleagues have been discussing this afternoon, in support of the Committee Report. I also thank the Chair, Hon. Joseph Limo, for ably presenting this particular Report in a very simplistic way that most of us were able to understand the content. I know for sure that if we do not raise revenue, we may not be able to appropriate any money that we passed just the other day. So, there is need for us to raise revenue. As I listened to many speakers speak this afternoon, I was wondering where we will get money from. I looked at international trade as one of the ways that countries get money and yet this is affected too. I also looked at donors and philanthropists and they are all affected. In terms of taxes and levies, we have a serious impact because of the COVID-19 among other disasters that we have gone through. In terms of the changes in the money markets, we are negatively affected this time round. In terms of liquidation of assets, we still are affected. So, we may not have many ways of raising money and that is why, I am sure, the Committee struggled to find out exactly how we will raise revenue for purposes of appropriation. Remember the many proposals that we made in the Budget. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to laud the Committee, first, for extending the brackets. What this basically did is to give some relief to low income earners. It opened up the brackets upwards for those who are struggling within the industry. That gives up the income tax limits that were given to the housing sector. When you look at the issue of corporate taxes, I agree that, indeed, it is a very important relief to those who do not even know how to file their tax returns on time and those who have not been able to declare their revenue to KRA. That 1 per cent of gross turnover is going to assist a lot in increasing the revenue that we are going to raise, therefore, helping us have more money. Coming to the businesses that the youth are engaged in and especially in terms of the digital world, I would like to go for taxing the digital business. However, I would like us to apply the decree that we do not tax the businesses owned or run by the youth. So, exempt the youth and tax the businesses. That will generate some revenue and give leeway for the youths to continue being more creative. It will create employment, which we have not been able to do as a Government despite the fact that we are training, educating and discharging the youth into joblessness. I believe 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."
}