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{
    "id": 1254472,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1254472/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 225,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "and the cost of commodities, considering that we have been importing most of our goods including food items. It is true that the Government has had to waive duty on food items in the last few months to try to bring down the cost of living and make it more palatable to Kenyans. For this Finance Bill of 2023, I must thank the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning and all the 15 Members who sit in this Committee. For the first time, even Kenyans who never knew what a Finance Bill entails, have had the opportunity to interact with this document and appreciate there is something called a Finance Bill that raises revenue for the Government. Whenever you go to your constituency, Kenyans are asking for development projects. However, they never ask themselves where that money comes from. From the engagement the Committee had with members of the public through public participation, Kenyans have come to appreciate what it takes the Government to raise money. This is one of the Finance Bills that have been vilified more than any other Bill in the history of our legislative processes in this House. The vilification has been informed by misinformation, a lot of propaganda, many insinuations and misinformation of things that are not even in the Bill. The sad thing is that there are Members who have not even interacted with either the Bill or the Committee’s Report even as we sit here today. You have heard Members stand here and say the wigs of our beautiful ladies and all the other decorative items they use are being taxed. However, if you interact with this Committee Report on Page 169, I see the Committee Report has dropped that provision. I have heard the Member for Nyando say that we are now taxing accidents. That insurance compensation will be taxed. I even heard a veteran Member like the Member for Kathiani, Hon. Robert Mbui, speaking on radio. I confronted him that day and asked, “ Mheshimiwa, where in this Bill did you read that people will be taxed for insurance compensation?” If I draw reference to Page 240 of the Bill because it is good, it talks about taxation of input VAT on taxable supplies that you are being compensated after loss on input tax that you had already claimed against your output tax. It may be too much English for someone who does not appreciate finances and taxation. Maybe a number of us have been misleading Kenyans out there in funerals and rallies out of not knowing. However, I want to confirm to the people of Kenya that a lot of the misinformation and propaganda that has been used to vilify this Bill is untrue. There is no person who will have an accident and be forced or be required to pay VAT on your insurance compensation out of an accident. It is only on taxable supplies where you had claimed input tax. As we vilified this Bill, we forgot all the good elements about the Bill. I appreciate what many Members, especially my colleagues in the Minority, have been saying that they reject this Bill in totality. As you reject this Bill in totality, be kind enough to inform Kenyans that Income Tax on rental income is falling from 10 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Nobody says that. We only talk about what is going up, only VAT on fuel. Even VAT on fuel is not a new thing. We were here on this Floor in 2018. The same mouths that are vilifying the rise from 8 per cent to 16 per cent today advocated for the 8 per cent that exists today, from zero per cent. The same voices that vilify the Housing Levy today… I saw somebody asking on social media whether President William Ruto borrowed this from the former Prime Minister. I am told Housing Levy was part and parcel of the Azimio la Umoja Party Manifesto. It was at 1.5 per cent."
}