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{
    "id": 1219275,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1219275/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 141,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kilifi North, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Owen Baya",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "As the negotiations go on and we say we are making policy here, how do we take this to the agreements that are going on? For example, we have the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) right now. It is being negotiated under the STIP. It is the question of enhancing efficiency or performance by our companies. If you go to Mombasa today, as you drive towards Malindi to the north, you will see many new establishments and new products. I think AGOA allows around 23 products only. How are we increasing the products so that this country can have more products exported outside to enable us get more business and grow the GDP of this country? You have said that we need enhanced enabled retention of investors across the country. It is a fact that we have investor flight. They are leaving the country. Why are they leaving the country? Why do they not want to continue investing here? It is because the cost of production in this country is very high. Electricity, water, labour and many other things are making Kenya not an investment-friendly country. I said this is a good thing when I saw the President go to the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone to launch the first gas production unit there today. There are people out there who have a lot of confidence in the Kenyan situation who can come and invest here. We are losing investors. That is why I conclude differently. The Mover of the Motion needs to take note of this. One, do we want to stick only to EPZs or do we want to move this country to Economic Zones (EZ)? The EPZ is only one form of an economic zone. Do we want to move this country to EZ such that the EPZ that we have diversify and we have a broader policy and law on Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or EZ, so that we can create more business? Do we only want to go to export processing or do want to go to full manufacturing? Do we want to go to other areas, for example, the service industry? If you go to Singapore today, you will find that they have Special Economic Zones that are only for tourism. They have a zoo with elephants they have brought in since they do not have some. They are benefitting immensely from the service industry. If you go to Dubai, they have a Special Economic Zone that is only for services. The service industry in the world today makes more money. Countries that have gone into service industry are making more money and their GDP is growing faster."
}