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{
"id": 202383,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/202383/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Muiruri",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Agriculture",
"speaker": {
"id": 238,
"legal_name": "Patrick Kariuki Muiruri",
"slug": "patrick-muiruri"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker,Sir. On 19th September, 2007, the Nominated Member of Parliament, Prof. Ruth Oniang'o, demanded a Ministerial Statement on the Sugar (Amendment) Bill, 2006. The bone of contention in this matter was that the Sugar (Amendment) Bill, 2006, has taken long to reach Parliament for discussion and enactment into an Act to enhance and steer development of the sugar industry. The object of the Bill is to seek amendment to the Sugar Act, No.10 of 2001, to enable it become more organised, realistic and practical. The Sugar Act, 2001, was reviewed by all the stakeholders for more than a year to capture their concerns and incorporate them into the Bill. Towards the end of 2006, the Sugar (Amendment) Bill, 2006, was submitted to the State Law Office for drafting. There have been various correspondence between my Ministry and the Attorney-General's office with regard to rectifications and alterations to the various clauses in the draft Bill to fine-tune it towards achieving its objective and purpose before presentation to Parliament. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Bill, among other issues, seeks to expand definition and provide clarity of terms of the Act. It also seeks to add or to remove ambiguous terms that are of specific relevance to activities in the Act, clarify the functions and mandates of the various organs and institutions in the sugar industry and strengthen the powers of the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB). It also seeks to promote good corporate governance and accountability of the various institutions of the industry, enhance consultation over regulation of the industry on market distortions and enhanced efficiency levels in the industry. The Sugar (Amendment) Bill, 2006, is being finalised by the Attorney-General and is expected to be ready by the first week of October, 2007. The Joint Sessional Paper on Sugar and a 4126 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES September 25, 2007 Cabinet Memo were forwarded to the Treasury on 18th May, 2007, for signing by the Minister for Finance. However, the Ministry of Finance has raised the following two issues which need the concurrence of other stakeholders. First, are comments by the Ministry of Energy on the modalities of blending of power alcohol and petroleum fuels. The Ministry of Agriculture is in consultation with the Ministry of Energy over the same. Secondly, is concurrence of the major stakeholders, the Industrial Development Bank (IDB), Shell Kenya and Fireco Babco, in the sugar factories to convert the debt owed to them into equity. The Ministry is consulting for their concurrence."
}