{"id":1462070,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1462070/?format=json","text_counter":514,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Nominated, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. John Mbadi","speaker":null,"content":"Ministers were fighting to be in that Committee. I got the privilege to be in that Committee, and I served diligently. In 2013, I am proud to have brought an amendment to the VAT Act on basic commodities from being standard-rated to either zero-rated or exempted completely, which, at least, helped in lowering the cost of living. I have diligently participated in appropriation of funds, as you all know, but I have outstandingly played my role in overseeing the national Government expenditures. I have also participated in the development of policies of national importance, just to mention but a few. As I take over as Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, I am acutely aware that we are at the centre of a storm; a tax storm, a debt storm and an economic storm. Nonetheless, we must forge forward."}