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{
    "id": 1079461,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1079461/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 159,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui Rural, CCU",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Mboni",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13388,
        "legal_name": "David Mwalika Mboni",
        "slug": "david-mwalika-mboni-2"
    },
    "content": "The other important proposal is tax rebates to employees who engage students from the TVET institutions. Instead of saying that the companies which are to benefit from these tax rebates should take 10 students, the Committee proposes five students so that SMEs can also be encouraged to take students and benefit from the tax rebates. That is important and I support it. There are proposals that are not welcome. We need to look at them and, of course, I do not support them. One of them is under the VAT Act. It proposes changes to taxes from zero-rated to exempt. These taxable services are like ICT and transportation services. Can you imagine, for example, if we were to tax transport companies like owners of lorries, they are likely to move from this country to the neighbouring countries. If they move, we are going to lose jobs. Some countries will not allow drivers from Kenya to drive trucks in their countries. We are likely to lose jobs and Corporate Tax. So, we should not support this as a House. The Bill also proposes VAT on bread. Bread is something that is consumed by almost everybody in this country, the rich and the poor. Therefore, we should not support it. Bread should remain zero-rated, so that people can access it. Moreover, this country imports 90 per cent of wheat. That means that wheat spices are subjected to international market forces. Therefore, we may not have control over wheat from other countries. The Bill proposed to delete the requirement of the National Assembly to approve regulations. That, regulations will be done by the Cabinet Secretary without the approval of National Assembly. This proposal should not be supported. Giving a CS these powers is a mistake and we should not support it. We may create a dictator if we give into this proposal. The Bill proposed to impose Excise Duty of 5 per cent on motorcycles. Everybody knows the importance of motorcycles in terms of boda boda transport in rural areas. They provide jobs and income in rural areas. This is a proposal that we cannot support because this taxation will kill that sector and we will lose jobs. If we lose jobs, the crime rate will increase in this country. The Bill proposes introduction of Excise Duty of 25 per cent on locally manufactured sugar confectionaries. Their prices are going to increase and they are going to be at par with imported sugar confectionaries and white chocolate. This will hurt local manufacturers. One good thing that the Bill proposes is to give the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) powers to appoint KRA in consultation with trustees to recover unlimited pension from employees."
}