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{
    "id": 1108200,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1108200/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 100,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Ali",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The PPPs are usually supposed to be good. However, there are many problems, especially in our region, where people do not follow the rules strictly as mentioned earlier. In our area, we mainly depend on agriculture. The least developed counties usually have higher levels of poverty. When it comes to economic activities, we have low per capita income. We depend on agriculture and exports, which are not even enhanced to the second level. We have low levels of technology and innovations and do not do very well in that aspect. We then end up depending on mainly aid. People bring in money and take back three-quarters of it. The aid that comes to these counties is used for other things. They mostly use it for other issues like buying big vehicles, paying people who are not even qualified, and most of the money goes back. We mostly depend on aid instead of thinking of technology and innovation. If we think of technology and innovations, then our country will obviously improve. When we talk of PPPs, then in that case, while the tendency is to advocate for more aid that is more sustainable, it will be science, technology and innovation. That is one way of providing us with more employment and more funds for our people in other sectors. The Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies are usually not done the right way most of the time. That is why we fail most of the time in performance of our PPPs. When you listen to the grapevine about the so-called PPPs in Kenya, you will be surprised. That is why people talk of monies changing hands, and that is why China has taken over Africa. They tend to do that, but give a lot of money to the technocrats and leadership in those areas. In the end, we do not gain much. Madam Deputy Speaker, my take is that while I have no problem with the Bill, the most important thing, as has been mentioned, is the policy and how the rules are put in place to make sure we or our funds are not misused. Most African countries are the least developed in the world and here, we are talking about STI, which also comes mostly from the West. The little that we innovate disappears and are mostly used by big companies, which do not benefit the locals as is supposed to be. The World Bank has started a technology bank, but most African countries do not make much use of it. I know that the Committee has looked into it, but I hope they have looked into all the aspects, so that in the long run, we do not fail in our objective to support our people. Madam Deputy Speaker, I support."
}