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{
    "id": 1043629,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1043629/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 261,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I hope you will add me my minutes. You have disrupted. As I was saying, COVID-19 is going to be with us for many years to come. As a country and the world, we must adjust ourselves to COVID-19. When the President made the request to reduce the taxes, in my view, it was obviously just a hope therapy. It was essentially a therapy. We knew all along that it was not sustainable. It was not sustainable to lose that revenue that has been estimated, from VAT alone, to be Kshs50 billion. This country cannot do without that Kshs50 billion directed or collected from VAT sources. The issue that normally comes up here and many Kenyans outside there have this feeling is that they are over-taxed. That is a palpable feeling all over the country. We are extremely over- taxed. Probably when you look at the tax regimes elsewhere, the point at hand here is whether the taxes we collect are used for the intended purposes. Do Kenyans feel that their taxes offer commensurate services compared to other places? The answer is no! Everybody who is seated here and elsewhere knows that, that is not the case. The reason for that is corruption, corruption, corruption, corruption and nothing else! If we were able to utilise all our taxes and tax revenues towards services that alleviate human suffering in this country, this feeling that we are over-taxed will not persist in this country. Therefore, we call upon the Government to seriously go back and rethink the issue of corruption. Is it fair for the COVID-19 billionaires to still walk free in this time and era since the DCI started the process of investigations? It is very clear that people pocketed money. What has happened? That is why when you tell Kenyans that we have been summoned for a Special Sitting to increase the taxes or to revert to the past tax regime, they feel that we are truly covering corruption. If we do not address corruption, the feeling among the people there will always be negative. As I conclude, we need to be very clear on the issue of minimum taxes on businesses that make losses. Many people continue to look for resources to pump into those loss making businesses and taxing them this much will amount to punishing them. With those few remarks, I support."
}