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{
    "id": 226645,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/226645/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 440,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Muturi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 215,
        "legal_name": "Justin Bedan Njoka Muturi",
        "slug": "justin-muturi"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am saying that because all I have said will be captured in the HANSARD and it being part of the record of the House, it is possible that the Committee reviewing the Standing Orders could pick some of these suggestions. As I will be 632 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 12, 2007 demonstrating soon, a lot has happened and not enough action has been taken. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, hon. Wamunyinyi, in his contribution, raised the issue of quarrelling and/or fighting Ministers. He was alluding to the conflicts between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture over certain issues. I do not want to revisit the issue. However, on page VIII of this Report, there is a paragraph titled: Evasion of Payment of Duty and other Taxes - Mombasa. Under this paragraph, you read about a very interesting company called M/s Womankind. The paragraph reads in part: \"The Committee noted with utmost concern that a lot of rice was imported by Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as M/s Womankind and M/s International Children Trust without payment of duty. M/s Womankind which was allowed to clear 2,000 metric tonnes under Treasury exemption for free distribution to refugee camps also cleared 35.212 metric tonnes without payment of duty.\" Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you follow this Report, especially with regard to this particular organisation called M/s Womankind, you will learn that they went under and Treasury could not follow them. They used bonds from insurance companies. The insurance companies themselves went under and so did the company. M/s International Children Trust had also been allowed to import 4,000 metric tonnes of rice duty free. It actually cleared 2,518.75 tonnes without paying any duty. The NGO ceased its operations in the country and documents relating to the importation of the items could not be traced in order to establish how the rice was cleared. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is an indictment on a very key Ministry; that is, the Ministry of Finance. The Customs and Excise Department fall under this Ministry. We are being told, in the Report, that the Ministry allowed people to import rice duty free. They imported excess quantities of rice and they never paid any duty. No documents were made available. Can anybody from the Government stand here and tell us that the officers responsible for that importation, exemption of duty or clearance of items have been taken to court? What action has been taken against the officers concerned?"
}