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{
    "id": 1441662,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1441662/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 408,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Buuri, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Mugambi Rindikiri",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I stand to associate myself with the Finance Bill as presented by the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. At the outset, I support the Bill because it has addressed some of the issues that I was looking for. The initial proposed Bill had a lot of issues that were detrimental to our population. The proposed Bill, as it had originally been presented, could not pass the test of time. However, having listened to what the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning has presented, I associate myself with his proposals. We passed the Budget in this House. We cannot pretend that we are disassociating ourselves with that Budget now that the Finance Bill has come. The Finance Bill will address the supply part of the expenditure. The Budget Estimates addressed the expenditure. So, the two are inter-twined unless we go back and reverse the Budget Estimates that we passed, we suspend them and go back to the drawing board. The Bill has met all the requirements in terms of passage and verification by members of the public. Public participation has introduced elements that Kenyans have been asking for. I am, therefore, satisfied that a majority of the issues that have been brought up by members of the public have been addressed through the proposed amendments by the Committee. As legislators, we are going to bring more amendments. I have noticed some anomalies in the Finance Bill as proposed by the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. We will be taxing raw materials which local manufacturers use. I will bring an amendment to reverse that proposal. I have also seen the introduction of a levy on Treasury Bills. We will also bring an amendment to reverse that amendment. I want to tell the people of Buuri, whom I represent; that we will make sure we are in consultation with the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. We will agree with them to delete the clauses that are detrimental to their expectations and pass the Bill because it carries more benefits to our people. This Bill has passed all the legal requirements, including the Income Tax Act, the Value Added Tax Act, the Excise Duty Act, the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies Act, the Tax Procedure Act, the Affordable Housing Act, the Data Protection Act, the Public Finance Management Act and the Industrial Training Act. As we sit here, the Bill complies with the procedures of law-making. I note that the objective of this Bill is not to discourage investment. It addresses issues of how we will move the economy in the short-term, mid-term and long- term. We are all talking about creating employment for our youths. We are talking about ‘Made in Kenya’ and ‘Promote Kenya’. We are talking about taking care of our environment. All those things are contained in this Bill. We need to be careful not to trash a good thing with emotions because that is what I am seeing. The people of Buuri expect development, water, electricity and healthcare. I urge Hon. Members to put aside their bipartisan interest and support this Bill. Let us identify the good proposals and the bad proposals with a view to doing away with the bad ones. However, we cannot say that this Bill should be rejected in totality. Hon. Speaker, I support."
}