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{
    "id": 237466,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/237466/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. J. Koech",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for East African Community",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 310,
        "legal_name": "John Kipsang Koech",
        "slug": "john-koech"
    },
    "content": " Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to join my colleagues in commenting on the Finance Bill. First and foremost, I would like to commend the Minister for Finance for working so hard 3260 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 31, 2006 to improve the economy of this country. The economy is now growing at more than 5 per cent per annum. This is a major achievement considering the fact that for some time, we have had an economic stagnation. I would like to encourage him to continue with these efforts, so that we can have a higher economic growth rate, which can trickle down to the common people in order to reduce poverty. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to commend the Minister for Finance for the prudent management of the fiscal and monitory policy. This has enabled us to have a stable currency for a long time. This has been reflected in the prices of imported goods, especially in regard to oil prices. If it was not for the prudent fiscal and monitory management, the prices of oil today would be so high. This is a very big achievement. I would like to request oil companies in this country to ensure that when the prices of oil go down in the world market, they reciprocate by reducing the prices locally. These oil companies should have a \"heart\" for the common mwananchi in this country. They are making a lot of money and it is only logical for them to reduce the prices of oil. If that is not going to happen, I believe the Minister for Finance will have to introduce some controls to oil prices. If the dealers will not co- operate and want to continue earning so much money at the expense of Kenyans, that is not fair. I would urge the oil companies to reduce the prices of oil. Indeed, they are reaping a very high profit from the high prices of oil. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to commend the Minister for ensuring that farmers, especially the pyrethrum growers, the dairy and the sugar-cane farmers, have been paid their dues, which have been outstanding for a long time. Due to the payments, the 5.8 per cent economic growth rate is beginning to be felt in the rural areas. We should be grateful for that. This means that the common man can now enjoy the fruits of his labour. This is a very big encouragement and we should commend the Minister for Finance for paying the farmers. On taxation, I would like to congratulate the Minister for Finance for ensuring that duty on imported goods is increased, so that the local industries are promoted. I am happy with this as the Minister for the East African Community. With the coming up of the Common External Tariff through the Protocol on the Customs Union, in the East African market, East African products will be preferred to products which are produced elsewhere. Quite a good number of goods which are manufactured in this country are now beginning to access markets within the East African Community because of the Common External Tariff. Goods like milk are now beginning to access the Tanzanian and Ugandan markets. This is very good for our farmers. I would like to encourage our farmers and our people to make use of the East African Community. I am very happy to find that our local farmers, especially at the borders, are beginning to make use of the removal of taxation or duty on the common market. Soon we shall be negotiating on the protocol on the common market. This, of course, will bring into being free movement of persons and services and the right of resident in this country. Our people should take advantage of the situation which is prevailing in East Africa. I would be very unhappy, as the Minister for the East African Community, to see that it is only members of the big business community who are benefiting from the common market. I want to request hon. Members that, wherever they are in their constituencies, they should talk to their people about the benefits of the East African Community and the common market, which we are now enjoying in this region. Already, the people in the border areas, like Busia, are enjoying these benefits, because they are trading freely with Ugandans. The same applies to our common border with Tanzania in Namanga, and also in Langalanga, where they are now beginning to feel the usefulness of the East African Community. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am also happy that the Minister has looked into the issue of supporting Common External Tariff System, which is aimed at reducing duties on goods, as I have always said. This will go a long way in ensuring that the business community in this country is encouraged to produce even more. October 31, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3261 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on agricultural products, I find that the Minister has also sanctioned the reduction of taxation on agricultural products. This will also go a long way to ensure that farmers produce better yields and increase their inputs in agricultural development. What we need to do in the rural areas is to ensure that farmers actually benefit. If the income of farming community is increased, it will be an engine of growth because it will also encourage a lot of industrialization in this country. In that way, we will have a spiral effect which is going to touch on the youth of this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to thank the Minister for Finance for coming up with the Youth Enterprise Fund. If the Kshs1 billion, which has been allocated for the youth, will be used properly, it will go a long way to ensure that our youth get some gainful employment. I hope that when this money will be released, it will not be used for political reasons. I think that all of us, as hon. Members, should educate our youth to come up with viable projects, because the thinking in some quarters is that the Government is going to give out this money as donations or hand-outs to the youth. This money should be used to develop our youth through well- planned, viable and sustainable projects and which should be able to improve their welfare. By doing that, the Fund will really assist the youth of this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Finance Bill has given the Jua Kali sector a boost through the reduction of taxation on their products. The Jua Kali industry will be a very important area because it will create gainful employment for our youth. I want to revisit the question of employment. Truly speaking, since the NARC Government came into power, employment opportunities have increased. But, sometimes, the common mwananchi has been misled by some politicians, who are asking: \"Where are the jobs?\" Honestly, where do you expect the Government to get the jobs? Government jobs are static because the number of public servants is not going to be increased much more than it is, and we all know that. The only area where employment will be generated is through the private sector. So, the Government is encouraging the private sector and areas like the East African Community, which is going to give rise to more industrial development in this country which will eventually create job opportunities for young people. If we have a lot of investment in this country, it will mean that the young people will benefit through many economic activities like small businesses, which will give them some gainful employment. We should give the right signals. With more investments in this country, more informal employment opportunities are being created which are benefitting the young people of this country. Therefore, for us to stand up and say that no jobs have been created, I think that is very unfair! Where did you expect those jobs to be created in the first place? You do not expect the Government to come and announce that there will be 2 million vacancies in the Civil Service. That is not possible! But the fact that there will be more investments in the country and improved economy, this will create employment opportunities for quite a good number of our people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with an increase in revenue collection, which has been extremely good for this Government, it also means that the amount allocated to the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) has also been increased, because the amount allocated to the CDF is also proportional to increased revenues. So, if the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has collected more money, it means that we, as hon. Members, are going to have more money in our constituency accounts. If this money will be used properly, it is going to create a lot of employment opportunities in the rural areas. This is one way in which the Government has invested in local areas and it is already bearing some fruit, because there are more employment opportunities in the rural areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I end my speech, I want to appeal to hon. Members to talk less and do more. The biggest problem we have ever had in this country is that, there has been more politics, especially from the politicians, rather than encouraging economic development. We should now get down to the basics and find out how we are going to make our people get something to eat. What measures are we going to introduce to ensure that our people improve their 3262 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 31, 2006 livelihoods? How do we spend the money in the CDF to ensure that we improve the lives of our people and reduce poverty? These funds are in our hands, as hon. Members, and we cannot blame anybody now. This money is in our constituencies, how are we using it to increase employment opportunities and also to reduce the poverty levels in our areas? Instead of coming here and saying that this Government is doing nothing, I think so much has been done and we should be very appreciative. Let us come out with more ideas to ensure that this country is developed. When some of us, who travel out of this country, think of home, we become very happy because so much is going on in our country than in many other countries. With these few remarks, I beg to support."
}