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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is stated in the Order Paper that this is the Ministry of State for Industrialization. However, I would like to state that this is the Ministry of Industrialization. The Ministry has a mandate to formulate industrial development policies and strategies. It is specifically responsible for the following:- (a) National industrialization policy, (b) Industrial property rights policy, (c) Settlement of industrial property rights disputes, (d) Quality control and standardization, (e) Industrial training and capacity building, (f) Training infrastructure and business development services for micro, small and medium enterprises, (g) Industrial tooling, machining and cement production, (h) Industrial research and development, (i) Finance and venture capital for industrial development, (j) Development of micro, small and medium enterprises,. (k) Provision of market linkages; and, (l) Access to finance for micro, small and medium industries. The Ministry also oversees the operations of nine parastatals which include the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Kenya Industrial Research and Development (KIRDI), Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE), Numerical Machines Complex (NMC), the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KEPI) and the Counterfeit Agency which was recently passed by this House, the Kenya National Agricultural Services (KENAS), IDP Capital and the Portland Cement. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the manufacturing sector growth rose by 3.8 per cent in 2008, the lowest in the last five years compared to a growth of 6.5 per cent in 2007. That growth contributed 10.6 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The number of direct formal wage employment in the manufacturing sector dropped by 0.3 per cent from 264,812 persons in 2007 to 264,095 in 2008. However, the subsector that registered growth included the beverage sector, clothing, wood and coal product and non-metallic mineral products. Some of the key challenges facing the industry include low level of productivity, high cost of production particularly energy, as we have already heard this afternoon. It is important to note that the Ministry has finalized the Draft National Industrialization Policy which I laid here last week and will be debated in this House formally after the Cabinet gives its approval. The document consolidates intervention measures or contains intervention measures gathered in various documents into a coherent industrialization policy. The policy identifies the course of action that is necessary for industries to flourish based on experiences in successful economies. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I said, we are charged also with ensuring that counterfeit goods do not overrun our market and harm our industries. We passed the Anti Counterfeit Bill which is now an Act of Parliament. It was given assent in December, 2008 and this financial year, we will make it operational. Kshs100 million has been budgeted for that purpose. Technical assistance on design and development for the commercial craft sector in Rift Valley, Coast, Nyanza and Eastern provinces are also provided. The main"
}