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{
    "id": 1554427,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1554427/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 281,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Dorothy Muthoni",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I also want to weigh in on this important debate and thank the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, Hon. Kimani Francis Kuria, for bringing this important Bill to this House, the Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill. It goes without saying that if we support our local manufacturers, it will go a long way in ensuring that our transformative agenda for the youth is completely settled. We should encourage local assembly of transformers. This is very important because we have issues across the country where about a quarter or even one-half of this country is not connected to the grid. If the electricity supply is consistent in the entire country, the youth will have the opportunity to work in the villages doing welding and operating hair salons. That will support them in their daily endeavours because we cannot employ everyone in urban areas. Besides manufacturing the transformers locally, we need to go a step further and ensure that we reduce duty on cables, wires, and stay wires accompanying connectivity. We also have the opportunity to reduce excise duty on cross-arms and stay rods that help in electricity connectivity. However, much as we talk about assembling transformers, what we should currently fight more is economic crimes because we have transformers across the country. However, every now and then, we hear they have been vandalised. Unless we deal with this crime, we will only be fighting to increase the number of transformers. However, there will be other people behind us vandalising and sabotaging the economy of this country. For any progressive country to grow successfully, we must support local manufacturing. I laud this very important move. We should have done it a year or even 10 years ago so that this country could grow and spur its economic growth. Quality assurance is equally very key. We might start manufacturing transformers but end up doing substandard ones if we do not apply quality assurance. I am sure this matter will arise when we pass this important Bill. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I support this Bill. This is the way to go as a country. Thank you."
}