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{
    "id": 1478590,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1478590/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 240,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I want to thank the hon. Senators for the questions raised. I will start with Sen. Tabitha Mutinda’s question. Sen.Tabitha Mutinda, I agree with you. Let us face it; if you have too much interface between officers and systems, you have a problem. A lot of these delays are just rent-seeking strategies, which must be eliminated. That is why we are trying to reduce the human interface with the system and have a system that is integrated, where we will have a seamless transfer from human resource service to the pension system. An officer is serving and the moment they transit, they transit from human resource service to a pensions service. There should be a seamless transfer, so that we eliminate this subjectivity and the human interference where someone puts a file and waits for you to come and appear. There is no reason people should come from Kitui, Homa Bay, Lodwar and so on to Nairobi, to follow up their pension. It should be done automatically and seamlessly. That is why the pension management information system will come in handy. We want to see how to integrate it with the payroll of the TSC, so that the system picks the information of those who are retiring automatically and onboard them. If there are issues to be clarified, the system should have provisions for making sure that all this data is captured. That would address that issue. Issue No.2, which again you are spot on, is on failure by those who are deducting, whether it is Ministries, departments, agencies, or county governments. I think the biggest culprit as of now has been the county governments and the defunct local authorities. A lot of money was deducted and not remitted and this is part of people's salary. Additionally, the monies that go to other statutory deductions like the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), is people's salary. They have earned it even if it is money saved in their Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO), it is still their money. My suggestion would be very radical. If these agencies cannot remit the statutory deduction, then the best thing to do is to allow the national Government to centralise the payment of salaries, retain the money and pay it to where it should go. That we only remit the funds to the bank for employers to receive their salaries and all statutory deduction is withheld. It was assumed that paying agencies would be responsible enough to make sure that the money they deduct is also remitted. Why use part of people's salary to pay other bills? It does not make sense at all. Sen. Osotsi is right. He is my Deputy Party Leader because I am still a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM); I am only not an official. This system is supposed to be integrated. We should move a little further to integrate almost the entire financial management. That is a discussion we are having. Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) was meant to do that, but it came too early for 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."
}