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{
    "id": 102489,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/102489/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 233,
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    "content": "brought down the cost of farm inputs by 100 per cent. I believe that the deduction on capital expenditure on farm input will benefit the farmer; first, by transferring that cost reduction to the end products. That is, the produce from the farms which will be produced cheaply. Let me comment on the issue of aflatoxin. We had a bumper harvest. When the Minister presented his budget, he said that we will not want to punish our farmers during the post-harvest season. As many of my colleagues have said, aflatoxin is brought by the failure to dry the produce to the required level of around 13.5 percent moisture content. But in some areas, it is very difficult to dry that maize to the required moisture content of 13.5 percent because of the weather conditions. I have in mind the areas around Mt. Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Loitokitok area where the weather pattern is ever cold. It is very difficult to dry maize in such areas to the required levels. In his budget, the Minister said that he has set aside Kshs400 million to buy fixed maize driers and Kshs360 million for 30 mobile driers. I would like to appeal to him to ensure that areas like Loitokitok get one fixed drier and one mobile drier. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, another taxation measure that I would like to applaud the Minister on is the issue of protecting local industries. He has taken a bold step by increasing the cost of imports on products that are locally available. This will protect our local industries and create employment and an environment favourable for investments. The issue of the construction subsector has been coming up over the years and I think the Minister has recognised that by bringing down the cost of construction by reducing the cost of products that are used to manufacture cement and paint. He also went an extra mile of reducing the Withholding Tax by 50 percent that contractors really complain about. I think construction is going to be a booming business in this country and the issue of shortage of housing should actually be addressed by such measures. My appeal is that this will translate to the end consumer by bringing down the cost of owning a house in this country. Finally, the Minister talks about measures to address fairness and equity by abolishing the Advance Tax especially with regard to PSV drivers and their conductors. I think this is commendable. These are young people. It was actually a punitive measure to ask them to pay tax in advance even before they get employed. With those few remarks, I want to support the Motion."
}