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{
    "id": 1533718,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1533718/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 1032,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Tax expenditure at the end of the day benefits business people more than the consumers, especially in the area of Value Added Tax (VAT). That is the area in which we are more vulnerable in terms of high tax expenditures. You will find so many exemptions on VAT and other taxes that ought to benefit consumers, but they end up benefitting only traders and business communities. I am glad that the National Treasury has seen the need to ensure that we minimise tax expenditures while also leveraging on technology. I must speak to this. We have been told over the years that we will leverage technology to enhance revenue mobilisation and collection, but we have never seen it working. I am aware that KRA is working on a robust programme to relook at their systems right from their customs and income tax systems. I hope that it will not just be another year of endless talk, but that will see the actualisation of those measures to leverage technology, revolutionise our tax processes, and seal loopholes on revenue leakage. This will generally enhance efficiency through the use of technology in our Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs), and leverage technology even for taxpayers. This will make it easier for taxpayers to settle their tax bills and arrears and communicate effectively with revenue officers and revenue systems at KRA. I say that because there are also measures which I spoke to last week. I see this BPS in terms of strengthening our expenditure control and improving efficiency and effectiveness in public spending. The National Treasury is telling us that they will also ensure that they leverage technology and e-procurement to have an end-to-end e- procurement system to maximise the value for money and increase transparency in procurement. These are very good semantics. I reminded the National Treasury last week that none other than the President in his State of the Nation Address towards the end of last year, committed that he has directed the National Treasury to ensure that e-procurement is a reality before the end of the first quarter. Let me remind the Cabinet Secretary, Hon. John Mbadi, Principal Secretary Kiptoo, and those who are in charge of the National Treasury, that we have less than 45 days to the end of the quarter. By the time they bring the annual Estimates, we want a report on the actualisation of that directive by the President on e-procurement. We cannot talk of efficient procurement and use of public resources in terms of public expenditure if we are not leveraging technology. I know there is immense resistance in Government to e-procurement, but it must be done since it is the right thing to do for the country."
}