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{
    "id": 1478552,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1478552/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 202,
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    "content": "There was even a talk that I have lost weight. I just wanted to advise those who are graduating in age that you must keep fit. It is healthy and very good for your health. So, I have deliberately been cutting that weight and I will continue to cut. It has nothing to do with the pressure or stress. Yes, there is pressure at the National Treasury, no doubt. However, it is not insurmountable. It is something that I am prepared for as I continue to discharge my duties. I agree with Sen. Onyonka on the contradiction in our various financial systems. You can have many financial systems addressing specific issues, including human resources and other issues like payment systems, but the answer is in integration. IFMIS was supposed to address this, but I think IFMIS has some failures or weaknesses which must be dealt with. So, we are looking at integrating our systems so that we have a system that you can have a clear view, that the visibility of transactions is very clear. We are also doing it with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). There is a programme that we have in place to make sure that KRA in terms of tax collection is improved and enhanced. Even this afternoon, we have a briefing session on the same. We want to make sure that all Value Added Taxes (VATs) are paid, and that all rental income, which we are only collecting Kshs17 billion and yet the potential is Kshs101 billion or thereabouts, and many others like personal income tax. Personal income tax in this country, professionals in this country who are not very poor, do not pay as much as people who are salaried pay because the visibility is not clear. So, this integration of the system is key. Let me address the issues raised by my senior and mentor, Sen. (Dr.) Oburu. For those who may not know, the only senior politician who campaigned for me when I was coming in for the first time is Sen. (Dr.) Oburu. I still owe him a lot for that. He has brought me to where I am. I want to address this issue of Chinese contractors. That is also the same question that Sen. Wambua asked. Let me just explain how the Chinese Government, through China Development Bank, agreed to take up some of these contracts and pay. Previously, we are aware, especially during President Kibaki's time, that the Chinese Government used to fund a lot of road constructions in this country. They gave us funds and brought their contractors. That was one of the conditions. Along the way, we shifted our attention from road construction funded by Chinese contractors to other areas such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), geothermal et cetera . Very few of the roads in this country, from the time President Uhuru came into office, have been contracted or done by funds from the Chinese Government. Most of the roads that we see Chinese contractors engaged in are funded through Government of Kenya funds. Now, it became almost impractical for us to finance all these road constructions by Chinese contractors, other contractors from elsewhere, and even the Kenyan contractors. We have a budget every year of about Kshs50 billion for development under the State Department for Roads. The pending bills, as I mentioned earlier, are Kshs167 billion. You need not less than three years to pay the pending bills. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}