HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 193413,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/193413/?format=api",
"text_counter": 212,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kiilu",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 45,
"legal_name": "Peter L. N. Kiilu",
"slug": "peter-kiilu"
},
"content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute. The Minister for Finance came up with very nice proposals in this year's Budget. While supporting this move, I want to observe that the Minister did appreciate that agriculture is a prime mover in the economic recovery of this country. It is so important in the realization of the medium term development goals and the realization of the Vision 2030. The agriculture sub-sector has good proposals, but I want to mention one area where I think enough support was not given. This country, particulary in this year, has a challenge of food security. We are not likely to acheive food security this year, because of two things. First, there is the displacement of farmers in the food growing districts of the Rift Valley and because of adverse weather conditions in the arid and semi- arid lands (ASALs). Arising from that, the Government has come up in this Budget with some token contribution towards the purchase of famine relief. I do not consider those short-term measures as adequate for making sure that this country has a good food security system. A good food security system would require that the Minister provide enough funds to the Ministries of Water and Irrigation, Northern Kenya and Other ASAL Development and the Special Programmes, so that we harness water in rivers like Athi River and other tributaries that serve that river, so that we develop reservoirs and dams that can be used for irrigation. I think that irrigation is key to sustained food security in this country. We have seen it in Egypt and the Sudan, and I do not understand why we cannot have enough food through irrigation. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I come from an area where cotton used to be a cash crop, and in this year's Budget Speech I have not seen a single cent ear-marked for the development and revival of the cotton industry in this country. When cotton was being grown in this country, farmers were getting employment in the rural areas. We had vibrant cotton ginneries and at the same time, we had thriving textile industries like RIVATEX, RAYMOND and so on. These are areas where employment could be created. I only wish that the Minister could devote some money to the growing of cotton in some areas. Cotton is not only grown in Makueni where I come from, but it can also be grown in many parts of this country, and it can create employment for our people. So, by not allocating money to the cotton industry, this Government continues to marginalise farmers in those areas where there are no other cash crops. It is time the growing of this crop was given some incentives. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, appreciating that agriculture and livestock are major contributors to the economy of this country, I would have expected to see some money put into the development of an Early Warning System to warn farmers on when we are likely to have rainfall failure, but such system has not been allocated money. The farmers in this country continue depending on weather forecasts from the Meteorological Department, and I do not think that this is enough. We need to develop a system that warns farmers in good time of what is likely to come. Let me touch on taxation measures that the Minister talked about. I was grateful when he talked of zero-rating Value Added Tax (VAT) on the basic commodities. That reflects a realisation by the Government that in this country we have the haves and the have-nots. My prayer is that a trickle down effect will be realised, so that the common mwananchi in this country can see the June 18, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1265 benefits of the taxation measures that were introduced. On the other hand, the Minister raised taxes on alcohol and spirits. That may sound well but when we implement those measures, a segment of our people will start partaking of illicit and unhealthy drinks like kumi kumi . We have seen the social effects when people take those drinks. We have seen people die in Machakos and Mai Mahiu when they consumed those unhealthy drinks. I would have liked to see the Minister for Finance proposing incentives that would help the producers move into producing local brews that would replace the illicit drinks. I would have been happy to hear that we are now going to regulate muratina, busaa, so that drinks like karubu and others come back but in a regulated way. The drinks are supposed to be manufactured in a healthy way, so that our people are dissuaded from going to take the illicit brews that have other social effects. I would wish to see the Government mooting incentives that would encourage producers of beer, other alcohols and spirits turning up with a drink that is affordable and healthy, and that would help the growth of the economy. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, finally, on the proposed measures on the reforms of the banking industry, I see a sinister move in increasing the money that is required for a local banker to operate. I suggest that those measures be shelved until we have local bankers achieving the one billion mark, instead of phasing them out. With those few remarks, I support."
}