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{
    "id": 1269259,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1269259/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 319,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "and, therefore, become innovative in terms of bringing things like electronics and a harmonized way of registration, then that is just part of it. This is lucrative to the delegated power that is given to the Ministry because it only deals with one definition of why licenses exist, which for Government is to raise revenue. The Government is primarily there to raise revenue. Therefore, if they bring license in terms of procedure, then the Government is ensuring that it makes money. However, if you broadly study the behaviour of MSMEs in terms of doing business, then one of the definitions that should come out very clearly in terms of the licensing procedures, is the fact that license in the context of this Bill must look at consumer protection against harmful product. We should start talking about licenses that are geared towards businesses and investors, who must ensure quality assurance and safety of products to consumers. Secondly, another definition that must also appear in the delegation of legislative powers that must be made clear in this Bill is fair competition to businesses. The moment you talk about fair competition, quality and safety of goods and products that we produce in our economy and businesses we are going to engage in, then go to Part I of the Bill, read together with Part III, which is actually the core of this Bill - licensing procedure - then Sen. Mariam Omar should look at other problems that emanate and make it difficult to actually harmonize licenses in this country. There are three that I want you to take note of. One is that procedures go hand-in- hand with the issue of cost. If procedures are harmonized with costs, then we will not have a situation where SMEs have got excellent procedures but are still dissuaded from registering or seeking licenses because of the issues of cost. A good case in point is the hospitality industry where you will find that a small enterprise that calls itself a hotel with maybe 10 rooms in some place in Keekorok or Mandera is really struggling with paying Tourism Licensing Board a fee. They will be required to pay the county government a fee. They will need to pay a number of different parastatals that have come up with different kinds of licenses that are completely unnecessary and are actually tantamount to quadruple taxations in the name of licensing. Therefore, the cost of licensing must go together with the procedures of those licenses Mr. Temporary Speaker, the second one which I think Sen. Mariam Omar has attempted to do very well in terms of addressing the elements of innovation and electronic kind of engagement is the issue of the time that it takes for people to get licenses. I will not dwell much on that because I think the Bill addresses it very well. However, along the cost of licensing, the delegated powers in Clause 27 must be able to establish the bare minimum and maximum number of licenses that businesses of a certain category must have. If you do not articulate that, then we will see rogue county governments as well as rogue ministries just coming up with random licenses any time they want. Lastly, I want to finish with the most important framework, which I think this Bill will help us solve in terms of licensing in this country. The truth is that the biggest problem about licensing in this country, whether nationally, regionally or at the county level, is corruption that is curbing corruption that issues in how people get licenses. The The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}