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{
    "id": 1441179,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1441179/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 255,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Bonchari, UPA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Charles Onchoke",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this Bill. The people of Bonchari have sent me various views about this Bill that they have taken time to go through, and on their behalf, I would like to state them as follows: that there is wanton wastage of Government or public funds, and that if they were to be stemmed, then we could have a better economy and a better Bill. Two, the VAT on bread is not acceptable to the people of Bonchari. The tax on motor vehicles and most of these other taxes seem to be dampening the economy. We would like to see a situation where taxes promote the growth of our economy. The basis of taxation is two things: the base and the rate. It seems that the National Treasury and KRA are fixated on the rate while the base is stagnated. I wish we could focus more on the rate so that there is relief for Kenyans who are paying the taxes. The people of Bonchari Constituency want more humane and affordable taxation because they are currently impoverished and overburdened. They have problems paying school fees and medical bills because they do not have money in their pockets. We are told that the economy is doing well. However, if that is so, it should reflect in the tax base. Instead, rates are being raised without compensation on the tax base which is said to be growing. The two items that are touted to indicate that the economy is growing are the drop-in inflation and exchange rate. However, the rising public debt and unemployment – where two out of three people particularly the youth are unemployed – are not discussed. Those are very critical items of the state of any economy. There should be measures in our fiscal plan that speak to addressing unemployment in this country."
}