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"id": 234810,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Kipchumba",
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"legal_name": "Joseph Kipchumba Lagat",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to support this important Bill. It is important that we create institutions that are independent. I am happy that the insurance premium tax will be replaced by the insurance premium levy. However, when the Minister was contributing, he talked of using the insurance premium levy to run the affairs of the board. I hope that is corrected so that the levy is used solely for the development of the insurance industry as stipulated in the Bill and not as he said. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to comment on the issue of accounts and audit of the IRA. Clause 4B(2) of the Bill says:- \"Within a period of four months after the end of each financial year, the Board shall submit to the Controller and Auditor-General or an auditor appointed by the Board under the authority of the Controller and Auditor-General, the accounts of the Authority---\" I would like to get an explanation from the Minister on this issue. How can the office of the Controller and Auditor-General give authority to a Board to appoint an auditor? My current understanding is that the Controller and Auditor-General appoints an audit firm that will carry out the audit of various institutions. It cannot be the other way round. It cannot be the Board being given authority by the Controller and Auditor-General to go ahead to appoint their own auditors. My understanding on this issue is very clear, that the Controller and Auditor-General will at all November 14, 1006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3617 times audit the accounts. However, in the event that his office cannot do so, they will appoint an auditor. The Controller and Auditor-General must first own an audit. I want the Minister to re-look at the phrasing of that clause because it does not seem right. However, I stand to be corrected. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of the Board of Directors of the IRA, I appreciate that all the people who have been listed in Clause 3B are there by right. However, who will take care of the interests of the insurance operators? All the other people proposed as members of the board of directors are Government officials. However, Clause 3B(g) says:- \"five other members not being public officers, appointed by the Minister.\" That should be made very explicit. Who are these five members? Supposing among these five members none of them has an interest in the insurance industry? There must be one person, in my view, to represent or articulate issues for the insurance sector, especially the operators. I want to propose to the Minister that among the five members, there must be one representative from the insurance operators. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of the appeals board, Clause 195 of this Bill says:- \"Where the Board refuses an application for registration, renewal or alteration of registration, the Board shall record the reasons for its decision and shall furnish copies thereof to the applicant and the Minister.\" Is it really sufficient that a Board will merely submit whatever reasons they have for rejecting an application to the Minister and the person involved? What happens if someone feels strongly that they should have been registered? In this case, the Board may have declined to register someone after giving reasons which someone is not satisfied with. I want the Minister to re-look at what happens if, indeed, according to the reasons that have been advanced by the Minister, an individual feels strongly that they must be registered or the reasons given, in someone's view, are flimsy. I want an avenue for appeal to be created so that if the Board refuses to register an individual who feels strongly that he or she should have been registered, one can, therefore, go to an appeals body to articulate the case. Finally, I want to look at the issue of training. The only training institution that we have in this country and which receives funding from the insurance sector is the Insurance College of Kenya. What happens if, for example, there are other institutions that also need to be funded? From the Bill, every policy holder will now be required to pay a training levy. I want that to be elaborated more. Other than one institution being given money for training, other institutions could be considered so that they can give similar or better training. That way, so many other institutions will benefit from the Fund. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to support."
}