Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1402443,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402443/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 200,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet West, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Timothy Kipchumba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute on this important Bill. I rise to support the County Licensing (Uniform Procedures) Bill (Senate Bill No.9 of 2022). I have read that the intention of this Bill is to establish a uniform procedure for licensing by county governments and for connected purposes. When devolution happened in Kenya, its architecture was never well thought out. When county governments were given power to make certain laws on issuance of licenses, the disparity in procedures and the fees charged has brought a lot of complexities for businesses in this country. You find a county charging a higher fee compared to other counties. As much as they have the power to determine the fee to be charged through their local finance Acts, I think it brings issue of inequality. When a tax is not uniform, it becomes difficult to obey that law. If you look at the records of our courts, there are too many legal battles that have arisen out of cross-border taxation matters. In cross-border collection of local revenue, some counties have higher taxes than others. I believe that uniform legislation will sort out this issue to provide a uniform mechanism of collecting revenue and issuance of licenses in this country. There are multiple inconsistencies in the regimes of tax and levy collection. This kind of legislation will create uniformity of procedures that are put in place and reduce issues of inequality in our country. This issue has affected private investors. If foreign private investors want to invest in the northern region, where I hail from… Various counties have different regimes of levying certain charges which creates an inconsistency. If this legislation is passed, it will ease doing businesses in those counties. I rise to support this legislation insofar as it sets the standard or uniform procedures of processing or charging fees and the minimum legal requirements in the processing of licenses. I support. Thank you."
}