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{
    "id": 1490586,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490586/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 80,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "On the southern sugar catchment area, we will have Migori, Homa Bay, Kisii and Narok. At the Coast, we will have Kwale, Tana River and Lamu. Those were proposed catchment areas that we hope our farmers will be comfortable with because some counties do not have a factory. For example, in Nandi, we do not have a sugar milling factory. We only depend on Kakamega, Naitiri and Butale. On the other side, we depend on West Valley, Kibos, Chemelil, Muhoroni and West Kenya to deliver our cane. Mr. Speaker, Sir, looking at this report, I ask my colleagues to support this Mediated Version of sugar Bill for the benefit of our sugar farmers. Sen. Sifuna had proposed something on Sugar Development Levy Fund. As a committee, we thought it is wise to introduce tax but be managed by Finance Bill. This is because a Finance Bill will be introduced regularly in the financial year. The reason we want to introduce sugar development levy fund is to cushion and encourage our local milling factories to ensure that we take care of industrial sugar. I know the argument will be that if that industrial sugar tax will be levied, they must transfer taxes to confectionaries such as biscuits and others that use industrial sugar processing. However, it was wise to cushion because we should also look inward. Donald Trump is talking of making America great again, but you remember that he denied business to China at expense of America. I encourage the House that we protect our local sugar factories. We wanted to zero rate industrial sugar but of wisdom we decided to introduce at least at the minimum taxes. I hope the manufacturers or the importers of industrial sugar will not transfer that weight to the consumers of confectionaries. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is the best we could do. I hope by the end of this year, His Excellency the President should assent to the Bill. Let us agree because our sugar cane farmers are waiting. The one for coffee, milk and tea will come. Let us assist our farmers who are waiting. This is redemption for the sugar cane farmers. This is the right time to do this sugar sector reforms for the benefit and kill this animal called Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA). We need to have our own directorate of sugar. The AFA one has killed most of the crops. Coffee and sugar can have their own directorate. We have the Kenya Tea Board. We have one for nuts in Coast and mung beans, so that farmers can be handled as best as their crop. Mr. Speaker, Sir, allow me to support this mediated version of the Bill and call upon colleagues to support, so that we can expeditiously dispense off with and allow farmers to go back to the business of tilling and ensuring that we have enough sugar. Sugar is very critical. I am so used to sugar nowadays. You know, there are sugar barons, sugar daddies, sugar mommies and that is life. I support."
}