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{
    "id": 1490590,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490590/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 84,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "taxation every financial year. I suspect that this will also put the pressure further on these manufacturers because it will increase the cost of production. When the cost of production increases and then see higher prices for these commodities, we will have lower sales. This directly translates to shrinking employment in terms of the number of people that can be hired. Some of our factories here in Nairobi have closed down their entire production lines because they can no longer manage to sustain the cost of wages. Mr. Speaker, Sir, whereas I wholeheartedly supported the Sugar Bill, especially from the perspective of the farmer, I had hoped that at least on this particular single issue, the committee would accommodate manufacturers as well, so that as we encourage and develop our capacity to produce this commodity locally, there is no need for us to lump this together. I had a conversation with Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe, who is my neighbour upcountry and also a friend and the Chair of the committee. His explanation was that there have been instances within the industry where people import normal sugar under the guise of industrial sugar. My argument to him was that in every endeavour in this country, there are people who try to be clever and circumvent rules and so on and so forth. However, it should not be a cause to mete out punishment on the entire industry. Let it be what it is. I hope that Members of the committee who have not spoken will be a little bit clearer than the Senator for Nandi about what he was saying that the committee was proposing to do with industrial sugar in light of the matters that I have raised. I do not know if he meant that next time the Finance Bill is brought up there will be an exemption. I really did not get the reasoning of the committee. I hope that somebody will clear that up for me. Other than that, I am in full support of all the other amendments, because these are proposals that we supported here on the Floor during the debate on the actual Bill. I hope that it will assuage the situation on the ground. I can also confirm that the roads, especially around my rural home, are in a terrible state. We were hoping that once this levy is introduced - now that you have decided that you must take it Sen. Cherarkey - we will see an improvement in the county roads because they will have resources to repair and maintain them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those many remarks, I thank you and support."
}