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"id": 217980,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217980/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kimunya",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Finance",
"speaker": {
"id": 174,
"legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
"slug": "amos-kimunya"
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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish, therefore, to appeal to all private sector players who would be the ultimate beneficiaries of that research, whose access by our talented scientists and researchers is expected to strengthen our capacity to use knowledge, to come forward and support that fund. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I noted earlier, the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) sector is one of the priority sectors in the Vision 2030. The Government intends to make our country a preferred investment destination for ICT related activities that will create more wealth and employment opportunities. To achieve that goal, the Government will develop and support an efficient ICT infrastructure that provides easy access to international and national networks; establish the legislative and regulatory framework for ICT development; and promote and ensure quality ICT education to provide a pool of world class professionals to meet the needs of both local and global markets. Mr. Speaker, Sir, starting in 2007/2008, the Government will facilitate the completion of the on-going ICT infrastructure expansion in order to improve the broad-band connections. That will be achieved through investment in an undersea fibre optic cable and the development of a national fibre optic network. Accordingly, I have allocated Kshs1 billion towards the East African Marine System (TEAMS) project, whose completion by mid next year is expected to provide 1830 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 14, 2007 cheaper and faster internet connection with the rest of the world. That project is also expected to reduce significantly the cost of making both local and international telephone calls. As earlier indicated, plans are underway to restructure fully and privatise Telkom Kenya before the end of financial year 2007/2008 in order to improve its operational efficiency and reduce further, the cost of telephony in our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on human capital development sector, although the Government has improved access to education and health-care services, much more needs to be done to ensure Kenyans enjoy good health and are appropriately skilled for our envisaged transformation to a globally competitive economy. In this regard, and in addition to measures that we have already initiated, the Government will go a step further in 2007/2008 to deepen reforms aimed at improving efficiency, effectiveness and access to education and health services country-wide. Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me begin with education. The new world of globalization demands that we develop a world class pool of brilliant and talented scholars, doctors, scientists, engineers, ICT experts, accountants, economists and other professionals, if we are to compete and succeed on the new world stage. Now, that pool of talent will come from all corners of Kenya; from rural and urban areas, and from rich and poor Kenyans who will be nurtured by the fair and equitable education system that we are systematically putting in place. In recognition of the important role played by quality education towards the development of talents of our Kenyans and towards economic growth and expansion of employment opportunities, I have increased the budgetary allocation to the education sector by 11 per cent from Ksh108.3 billion in 2006/2007 to Kshs119.5 billion in 2007/2008."
}