Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1346467,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1346467/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 359,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet West, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Timothy Kipchumba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I am quite surprised because we do not have a National Tax Policy in this country and this is the first one. That is why there have been problems in this country, in respect of taxation. It is true that the budget of this country is financed majorly through taxation. It is time we had a tax policy that is transparent, inclusive, credible and predictable. This will help us to avoid haphazard taxation of Kenyans through various regimes of law without a proper tax policy in place. We have had problems in this country. Businesses have moved out of the country because of unfavourable tax policies. We have a sad case in Eldoret, where the proprietor of Mediheal Hospitals is closing shop. Thousands of people in this country will lose their jobs because Mediheal Hospitals are moving to Uganda and Tanzania because of unfavourable tax policies. I call upon the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning to do a comparative analysis of taxes imposed in Kenya compared to those imposed in other countries. Ours must be equivalent to, or even lower than, what other countries impose, so that we attract permanent investors to Kenya. I am impressed that this Policy will handle matters of double taxation and trans-county taxation. There are many cases in court involving businesspeople who have been double taxed from one county to another. A transporter may be moving from Elgeyo Marakwet through Uasin Gishu County, Nandi County and finally Kisumu County. The transporter has to pay taxes in all the four counties. Our tax regime must be reviewed so that we have a standard formula to avoid double taxation and trans-county taxation, which ultimately injure investors and prevent us from raking in money that we intend to get from taxation. I support this progressive Policy. I thank the Member for Molo, Hon. Kuria Kimani, who is the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, for this progressive Policy that will align our tax regime. We will then have a tax regime that is legal, fair, transparent, credible and predictable."
}