HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 102938,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/102938/?format=api",
"text_counter": 81,
"type": "other",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "other social payments targeting our low income groups in order to assure and to ensure it is affordable. Mr. Speaker, Sir through this initiative, we shall be able to generate immediate and direct employment to over 100,000 youths. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we must begin as part of the economic recovery to encourage our manufacturing sector to expand investment in order to venture into new areas of value addition for export. This way, we shall be able to create strong backward and forward linkages between the manufacturing sector and SMEs. But to do this effectively, we will not only deepen structural reforms to improve business environment, but will also, as a country, take bold steps, as is the case in other nations, to start buying Kenyan products to promote Kenya. Without collective resolve and full commitment by all Kenyans, public or private together, to buy Kenya and build Kenya, we shall never industrialize and emerge as a regional giant in manufacturing. And with the high level of unemployment and poverty challenges we still need to confront, we can ill afford to continue to export our employment opportunities by taxing Kenyans to pay for imports by the public sector, especially on goods that are locally available such as beef, textiles and furniture, to mention but just a few. This also includes taking full advantage of our vehicle assembly plants. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the procurement law gives discretion to the procuring entities to apply preferences and reservations in public procurement and disposal in consideration of economic and social development factors. This has led to limited participation by local industries in the procurement process, even when economic and social development factors would justify otherwise. In order to promote participation of our industries in driving growth, creating more decent jobs and diversifying our exports, I propose to amend the Public Procurement and Disposal Act to make these preferences and reservations requirements mandatory to public entities and mandate the Public Procurement Oversight Authority to be monitoring and evaluating application of the same. I further propose to accord exclusive preference to local firms that manufacture, assemble, grow, extract or mine goods in priority areas such as textiles, furniture, motor vehicles and food stuffs through promulgation of regulations under the Public Procurement and Disposal Act by 1st July, 2010. Mr. Speaker, Sir, leasing remains a powerful and viable vehicle to promoting business growth and facilitating Government to effectively provide services. While we have made progress in encouraging leasing in our country, we recognize that more still needs to be done to promote leasing for faster growth and employment. To further enhance the use of leased assets and to promote lease financing, I propose to remove withholding tax imposed on lease rentals paid to lessors, including payments made to leased aircraft engines. The proposed measures will improve the cash flow position of the lessors and the lessees and facilitate growth of this business. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as a Government, we are going to take a strong lead in jump starting this process and be a major player in the leasing industry. Starting the financial year 2010/2011, the Government will adopt leasing and mortgage as a vehicle for providing cheaper access to assets necessary for enhancing service delivery, and through this process the Government will be able to unlock resources to front-load financing of critical public services and development, especially provision of housing and vehicles for our disciplined services. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Government recognizes that good governance is a foundation upon which we can be assured of sustainable development. This is the reason we have invested heavily in strengthening our governance and corruption prevention investigative institutions in order to ensure that we have a solid"
}