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"speaker_name": "Ms. Odhiambo",
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"legal_name": "Alfred Bwire Odhiambo",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. I wish to support the Motion. I wish to commend the Minister for Finance for introducing very good measures on revenue collection. Mr. Temporary Acting Chairman, Sir, I want to commend the Minister especially for the very good budgetary statement that takes into account the need for internal revenue collection that has actually seen Kenya to take the lead within the region. We are actually going to reduce external revenue collection by ten per cent this year as compared to Uganda and Tanzania that are expecting to reduce the same by 34 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. So, I wish to commend the Minister for Finance for introducing those measures. I also want to commend the Minister for Finance for the objective of revenue collection which includes the objectives to reduce poverty and enhance equity. I want to commend some of those measures which other Members have mentioned, including the zero-rating of VAT on motorcycles, gym equipment and cement. This will reduce the cost of construction. However, I want to comment on some of the measures that actually do not meet this objective of poverty reduction and enhancing equity. For instance, if you look at the proposals on reduction of tax on bread and wheat, a lot of Kenyans, especially women can no longer actually afford a product related to wheat or bread. Therefore, these measures only benefit the middle class and not the poor that it is intended to target. Even removing taxes on insulator tankers for milk, again, it will actually benefit persons who are capable of buying those tankers. That is not the poorest of the poor in Kenya. This is the category that our tax should be aiming at. Again, I want to comment on the free education by the employer that is no longer taxable. As much it is laudable because, then more people will be able to access education, again, it will benefit especially the higher and middle class who have children in schools which are getting this money. I actually want to commend the Minister for coming up with taxation measures that favour the senior citizens including reduction of taxes on lumpsum money for pensions and relief on mortgage for low income earners. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, I am happy with the proposal of relief on mortgage for low income earners even though it will not reach the poorest of the poor in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, I would also want to commend the Minister on the removal of double tax, especially for sportsmen. We know that sports in this country is a very lucrative industry, especially for our youth. Therefore, such measures would be very meaningful to them and go a long way to create employment opportunities for our people. We saw during the crisis that many of our youth were not meaningfully engaged. They were involved in violence. If we encourage sports in this country, they will be meaningfully engaged. Again, in relation to sports, the Kshs1 million allocated to every constituency does not take into account gender equity. It only targets soccer. We know soccer in this country is not very gender sensitive. It is only boys and men who get involved in it. Most women and girls do not involve themselves in soccer. I would, therefore, urge the Minister that, in future, under this Item, whenever he allocates Kshs1 million for soccer, a portion of it, must go into promoting girls and women soccer. We should not only be encouraged to play netball, but also soccer as well. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, some measures proposed by the Minister to be raised, especially in the financial sector reform, will not augur well in this sector. Increasing the June 26, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1465 capital base to Kshs2 billion will ensure that this country will be controlled by a clique of people who can raise that capital. Even the richest in this country will not be able to raise such funds. I would not like to support such a venture. Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, while on one hand, it is good for us to raise a lot of revenue, we must also be careful on how we expend it. I know that there has been a lot of debate and discussions in the media in relation to taxation of MPs salaries. Personally, I am not opposed to it. However, as a Member of Parliament, when you are taxing my salary, I would want to see it being put to good use. I want to suggest very clearly to the Minister that part of the money that he proposes to tax us, be put into construction of the Mbita Point-Homa Bay Road. Some"
}