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{
    "id": 1241257,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1241257/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 331,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mariam Omar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, Kenyans are behind this Prompt Payment Bill. In other countries like Canada and other parts of the world, they have such laws enacted. This Bill will solve many problems to do with our business economy. If a county or national Government does business with an individual, they are supposed to be paid immediately. Lack of prompt payment leads to many issues which have been highlighted by Senators. It may lead to auctioning of properties which may lead to depression and mental health issues. Most people who do business with counties or the national Government are affected because of depression and mental issues. As Senators have said, it may also lead to family breakups and divorce. Sen. Oketch Gicheru quoted some clauses of the Bill and said it is duplication. Those are Regulations and the Bill supersedes the regulations. Provisions of regulations are not enacted. If this Bill becomes law, people will be disciplined on prompt payment of bills. Again, most Regulations expire with time. Therefore, this Bill is supposed to be passed, so that citizens engaging in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can enjoy circulation of money. If you receive money immediately, you can chip in other businesses and that expands our economy. When it comes to interest rates, if we go by Sen. Oketch Gicheru proposal to remove it, people will not be prompt in paying bills. If there is some pinching somewhere, action will be taken. There is also the issue of delayed release of funds by the National Treasury. We have pending bills and that is deliberate. It is just deliberate and not because of delay in release of funds by the National Treasury. To avoid deliberate delays, we need some action so that those deliberate actions cease. This Bill will solve many issues. Therefore, it will save the economy. Some Senators raised issues to do with transition. You will find a governor refusing to pay because that was not their project. They do not want to pay pending bills and just focus on their bills first. Madam Temporary Speaker, there is need to adopt First In, First Out (FIFO) Strategy. It should not be about who is or who is not in the office. We need to be at the same level with other continents and developing countries. With that, Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to reply. I request that pursuant to Standing Order No.66(3), you defer putting of the question to a later date. I thank you."
}