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{
    "id": 1508281,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1508281/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 81,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Karachuonyo, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Adipo Okuome",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me the opportunity. I support the Bill. From the beginning, our citizens have had a many problems with payment of tax and I think much of it probably was because of the procedure that was adopted for the payment of tax. This Bill is trying to address this issue and that is why I support it. I know of cases where the taxpayers have been offended. He is running a small business, maybe a restaurant and a tax person comes, sits inside the restaurant, trying to see how many people are coming in, eating and probably eating what. Then that intruder, as I would call him, comes up with what he believes is the income the person has got and uses that for taxing the person according to the report he sends to the tax authority. This procedure will avoid that. The system we must have and which is being reflected here is a system which is understandable by both sides; the tax collector's side and also the taxpayer's side. It should not be a system that's not reflecting human face in terms of operation. I believe this Bill is going to get us out of that past. I know and everybody agrees that we must pay taxes in order for the Government to have revenue that it can use for running the nation. I tend to believe that while we are doing this, we should also look at the capacity of the taxpayer. That is why I was talking about the human face in the collection of taxes. When someone does not have money to pay revenue immediately, the tax authority should give him time to pay and even stagger payments through instalments. This will leave the taxpayer with the capacity to continue with their business and pay taxes in the future. If we descend upon the taxpayer with the heaviness of authority, we may be killing the goose that lays eggs. I support this Bill and the procedure in it is useful. People should know what they are to pay and by what time. Including all these in the Act, as we are trying to do, is useful. I support the Bill. Thank you."
}