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{
    "id": 217921,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217921/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 280,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Syongo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 316,
        "legal_name": "Zaddock Madiri Syong'oh",
        "slug": "zaddock-syongoh"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not understand why we cannot employ all graduates from teacher training colleges, even if it means putting them as apprentices for a year at half pay. That way, they will not be loitering in the streets and our children will not be attending classrooms without a teacher in front of them, especially at primary education level. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I appreciate that the Minister made some token suggestions to improve investment through private sector initiatives for university education. But he did not go far enough. Local authorities, municipalities and county councils should have actually been given clear indications that they need to give free land. Private sector investors would have been given a tax holiday so that they can invest to expand university education places and reduce the number of children going to other countries. That will conserve our foreign exchange and also make it possible for Kenyans to acquire university education in a manner that is affordable. On the question of removal of Sugar Development Levy (SDL) on imported industrial sugar; right now, the sugar industry is under threat because, very soon, the COMESA safeguard measures will expire. We will expose that sector to the influx of sugar from COMESA countries, which is cheaper. There is no way you can easily differentiate between industrial sugar and table sugar. This measure of removing the SDL on imported industrial sugar is just another window for corruption. What will happen is that we are giving somebody the discretion to decide whether it is table sugar or industrial sugar, and whether it will attract SDL or not. That is, in effect, giving some people in strategic places an opportunity to become millionaires while destroying the local sugar industry. It is also a very effective way of ensuring that this country never develops a fresh juice industry. This policy favours the South African bottlers of Coca Cola products who will use the imported industrial sugar at the expense of our capacity to produce fresh fruit juice. When in season, mangoes and pineapples from Kitui District and Coast Province are rotting because we are not investing in processing our fruits into juices. That is an extremely damaging initiative taken by the Minister against our local value addition, especially the food processing sector. It will also inhibit our own internal capacity to produce industrial sugar. Who says that we cannot develop our own capacity? The Minister definitely made a mistake. Obviously, when the Finance Bill comes, I will give a notice and make a proposal to amend the Bill so that we correct that measure that is not favouring our local sugar industry. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister reduced taxes on cigarettes without filters. Cigarettes without filters deliver more nicotine and have a higher tar delivery. They destroy the lungs much deeper and more effectively. By making them cheaper, he is definitely determined to kill poor Kenyans. I would have expected the Minister to reduce duty on filter cigarettes, so that more Kenyans; who are foolish enough to want to smoke, can afford filtered cigarettes."
}