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{
    "id": 1355205,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1355205/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 339,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for allowing me to contribute to the debate on the Supplementary Estimates. I must applaud the Budget and Appropriations Committee for bringing this Motion. We should implement these Supplementary Estimates because they drive the economy. Government budgets are the biggest financial supplier to the economy. We will be okay if we sort that out. The main objective of any economic activity is the welfare of the people. It does not matter how good the policies are, how sound they are, or how pleasing they sound. If people do not feel their effects in their daily lives, in the food they put on their table, when they pay for the energy that they use in their homes, when they fuel their cars, when they pay for public transport, their healthcare and education, the improvement is of no consequence. The Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee made it very clear when he reduced it to the term “economics of the pocket”. That is the level where those policies are felt. There will only be growth if people feel it in their pockets. It does not matter; you must be able to wake up, get food on the table, travel on your matatu or get to your boda boda. That is what matters. So, the issues we are addressing in this country to a large extent still remain the cost of living. We cannot run away from it. Whatever we do, that is the thing we must address. When we talk about debt, it is not fair that when you are in Government, you keep blaming the previous Government. That is why you are in the Government. Sort out the problems. Do not keep saying this is the person who did this. Okay, we have heard that from the time of campaign. Now we want solutions. If it is the debts you say are rising, the debts cannot rise if you do not take debts now. You cannot then blame it on the past. I have heard many things. I am not an economist but talking about economy, we are talking about paying debts. That is fair so that we remain credible in the world of money. But I have never heard us talking about restructuring. I do not think as a country we can insist that we pay all the debts even if our children are dying. That is one thing I have never heard. I know the Chairperson of Budget and Appropriations Committee is somebody who is much grounded The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}