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{
    "id": 1216801,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1216801/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 82,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kiharu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Ndindi Nyoro",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Because of the mismatch between demand and supply, the owner of the shop increases the price of unga . The kind of inflation we are experiencing in this country has both types. As the CPC considered the monetary side of inflation, it is the obligation of this House, as we make the Budget, to address the physical side of inflation. That is precisely what we have done through these Supplementary Estimates. We have provided enough money for subsidised fertiliser and farm inputs. We feel that we need to increase the kinds of food supplies that we grow and the best way to do that is not to come at the tail-end and subsidise consumption. We thought, in the wisdom of the Committee, that it is more appropriate to address the issue of inflation and supply not from the consumption side, but the production side. That is why much of the money saved in these Supplementary Estimates have gone into production of food to enable farmers to produce more. We are providing subsidised fertiliser to address the physical side of the food chain. I now want to go into the specific areas that we considered. I said that the Committee recommends that we approve Ksh15 billion for fertiliser subsidy so that we cushion farmers and increase productivity. Two, we have provided money for fuel subsidies. Yes, we are aware that the subsidies are no longer in existence but there are previous obligations. A responsible government is a government that pays bills. Therefore, we have provided money so that we pay the people who were involved in the fuel subsidy programme. The issue of pending bills is a monumental matter. On roads alone, pending bills are crossing the Ksh150 billion mark. When I talk about pending bills, I do not want to confuse Members who may be thinking of commitments. When I talk about pending bills, I refer to certified works. Commitments in the road sector are Ksh930 billion. We tried as much as possible to address the issue of pending bills. In our recommendations, we propose that the House tightens the rules around pending bills. We have seen irresponsibility, especially in how we spend government money towards the close of a financial year. We cannot continue singing the song of pending bills for ever. Beyond what we did as the Budget and Appropriations Committee, we will be making recommendations on how not to perpetuate the same. On the same issue of pending bills, and with regard to roads, there is a fund called Annuity Fund. We are requesting that this House passes that the Ministry responsible has access to these monies under Annuity Fund which is an A-in-A within the Department. This is necessary in that the Ksh12 billion in there can be used to settle some of the pending bills. The contractors can then go back to site and the roads in our constituencies will be done. On the same matter, you realise that after rationalisation of the Budget, the National Treasury had substantially slashed the budget of the State Department for Roads that percolates to the various agencies. We are seeking that this House also approves what we saw as the right thing to do: we have reinstated Ksh10 billion that will go purposely into the payment of pending bills of the ongoing roads projects. Through the Supplementary Estimates, we have been able to provide an additional Ksh22 billion that will go into making sure that contractors go back to site. I also want to address one matter that is very dear to the hearts of many Members here. As you can remember, there are some monies that are due for National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). Members had already procured and works done in over 240 constituencies but still there are arrears of Ksh12 million due to them. Through the Supplementary Estimates, we have provisioned Ksh2.9 billion so that all constituencies can get the Ksh12 million arrears that they are owed."
}