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"id": 102571,
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, the Minister also promised us that procurement would be streamlined whereby market prices would be the benchmark. A pen should not cost Kshs100 when we know that it can cost Kshs20 or Kshs30. We are yet to see that being implemented. We have been losing Government revenue through price inflations. The prices of goods and services have been inflated all over, be it in the Ministry of Roads or the Ministry of Lands. In any procurement, the Government loses a lot of revenue. That is an area where he had promised us to streamline, but we are yet to see something being done. I have an issue with the taxation of beer. Increasing the Excise Duty from Kshs45 to Kshs55 on non-malted and malted beer, respectively is a good idea. However, I imagine that we would have done better if we targeted cigarettes and soda. Through taxing beer, there is one big disadvantage to those who consume it. Fortunately, I do not consume beer, but for those who consume it, they have an alternative to the high quality beer. When there is an alternative, it means that, at the end of the day, when you raise tax on beer, you subject our ordinary Kenyans to consuming low quality beer. That way, we make them counter-productive. I wish we increased tax on cigarettes because there is no option for cigarettes. I wish we went for sodas because if you do not take a soda, you will take water and you even become healthier. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, it is also good to accept that life has become very expensive, more so, for the ordinary mwananchi. It would have been good if the Minister raised the threshold of the low income earners, so that those who pay taxes would be those who earn above Kshs40,000 or Kshs50,000, so that even if tax starts at Kshs10,000 or Kshs11,000, with a bit of relief, he could adjust upwards. Then we can cushion the low income earners to make them a bit more comfortable. There was also the issue of bonded vehicles. I wonder what happened. We are yet to see anything realized from that. Some of the Ministries and parastatals are still using expensive vehicles. I wonder who is more senior between a Chief Executive of a Government parastatal and an Assistant Minister or a Minister. I think there is an overlap and this is an issue which ought to be sorted out because, at the end of the day, it ends up giving us the undesired results. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, it is also good to realize that maize prices, much as it may not be on this, is of concern. It is very important for us to accept the fact that when we lower the price of good quality maize without any good reason, it gives an impression that the Government cannot afford to pay the farmers. When we do so, we discourage the farmers from producing more. We will always get into perpetual shortages and this will not augur well for our country in the long-run. With those many remarks, I support."
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