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{
    "id": 1524054,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1524054/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 290,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Moving from that, there are EPZs and Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Under this Government, on the SEZs, counties were meant to contribute Kshs250 million. The national Government to give counterpart funding of equal amount, so that we can set up them. The SEZs that have been formed under this Government seem to be only a few that have been selected. Only a few seem to be supported. These SEZs have not become a reality in counties that need them the most like the County of Tana River. You will find that in Tana River, even a single company that is making production somewhere does not exist. The only companies that are existing are the large milling companies. They mill what is coming out from the irrigation schemes. We do not have companies that are making production of anything. Therefore, we do not have employment opportunities within the industrial sector. Our Government said that county governments should set aside Kshs250 million, the national Government to give the counterpart funding and then start moving in that direction to help fill in the gap that these EPZs have left. The EPZs have failed to lock in the gaps of employment opportunities for counties that are far off. They have merely focused within towns and counties that are in big cities. I expected that the national Government will give priority to counties such as Tana River, so that within the first five years of this administration, we will see our SEZs in Tana River operational. However, we have not seen this happening. Other counties that are already having special EPZs are the same counties that are being given SEPZs. My prayer is that we should not propagate the same discrimination against counties that are on the outer side, so that we continue with independent policies that have discriminated against counties that are far off. A county such as Tana River should have been prioritised when it came to SEPZs, so that we can create conditions that will bring companies to manufacture in that area. We have a lot of land that we can give to those people who want to come. However, the Government needs to put the counterpart funding and encourage people to come and invest in that place. What is happening is that the SEZs seem to be working in the same areas where the EPZs are already operational. I want to use this Floor of the Senate to say that this policy of SEZs should also be extended to counties that are far off and they should be given priority. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, with those very many remarks, I take this opportunity to thank the Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialisation and Tourism for the work that they have put in, including the visits they made and the recommendations that they gave. I want to thank the chairperson for ably leading them in this endeavour. My prayer is that the same recommendations be effected within the period that was proposed. The Senate does not have an Implementation Committee. The Senate, in its wisdom, decided that the committees that are engaged on matters, and these matters are raised on the Floor of the Senate, are the same committees that will take charge and make sure that the resolutions the Senate makes are implemented. I want to take this opportunity to tell the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to make sure that they follow on these recommendations. If they say it will take four months, they can tell their secretariat to make sure in those four months there as 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."
}