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{
    "id": 237262,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/237262/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 246,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Olweny",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 122,
        "legal_name": "Patrick Ayiecho Olweny",
        "slug": "patrick-olweny"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am not discussing an individual. Anyway, let me continue. Another issue I wanted to raise is that of VAT on sugar. Sugar is actually food. I do not think there is VAT on coffee and tea. Majority of us cannot take tea or coffee without sugar; you need to sweeten it a bit. Sugar is actually an essential component in many foods across the world. In this country, one thing we know is that foods are zero-rated when it comes to VAT. I am wondering why we still have VAT on sugar. We have asked the Minister for Agriculture to liaise with the Minister for Finance to address this issue because it beats logic. Why the double November 1, 206 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3349 standards? Why should coffee be zero-rated when it comes to VAT while we have VAT on sugar? What kind of food is coffee or tea? You do not, for example, add coffee to porridge before you drink it, but instead you need sugar. So, this is an issue which the Minister should have addressed when compiling the Finance Bill. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have been talking of diversifying the sugar industry. Already, it is diversified in the form of alcohol production. We have two factories in this country producing alcohol; that is the agrochemical and foods factory in Muhoroni and the Molasses Plant in Kisumu. They produce alcohol. The people concerned with these factories have complained to us quite often that there are certain taxes which are levied on their products and it is affecting their sales. If we want to diversify sugar and related industries and we levy so much taxation on the agro-based industries, which way are we going? Are we discouraging the investors in the agro-based industries or are we promoting such activities? This is an issue that has been raised a number of times by the stakeholders. I wish the Ministry could address it because the excise duty which they complain about is too heavy and it is affecting them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, could you protect me from those two hon. Members who have decided to make this a laughting sport?"
}