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{
    "id": 1241075,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1241075/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 149,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. My sister, Sen. Kibwana, has raised an issue of VAT. She is prophesizing because the Finance Bill (2023) is looking to increasing VAT on fuel products from 8 per cent to 16 per cent. Mr. Speaker, Sir, today, the country is not doing very well economically. There are two issues. It is either we tax or borrow. As I speak, the budget ceiling is around Kshs9.4 trillion. The ceiling that this House voted for - of which I voted against - during the ‘handshake’ arrangement was Kshs10 trillion. We are looking at a budget of Kshs3.6 trillion. Our public debt is no longer sustainable. Therefore, the fact that VAT has been increased from 8 per cent to 16 per cent is very critical in the growth of the economy. We either choose to go the way countries like Ghana, Ethiopia and other countries who have defaulted went in terms of repayment of international public debt. Mr. Speaker, Sir, secondly is the issue of fuel subsidy. Who are these people? Many companies, which are well connected, benefited from fuel subsidies. Who are the beneficiaries? I remember we censured the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Energy during the last Session because of misuse and abuse of fuel subsidy. What we were having is specific petrol stations, selling fuel like it is ‘happy hour’; for people who take hard things other than water. They were not in a positon to tell us who these people were."
}