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"id": 237469,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Sungu",
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"speaker": {
"id": 324,
"legal_name": "Gor Eric Sungu",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is something that is very close to my heart; I want to talk to the moguls of finance, through the Minister. When they increase the tax on beer, they should do it double-fold. That will be good taxation. One will not die if he does not take beer. Of course, we are aware of the number of accidents that occur because of the influence of beer. However, the worst are the cigarettes which do not do any good to anyone. There is a Bill which will come before this House to check the use of tobacco products. Of course, there are some people who want to frustrate it, so that it does not come before this House. According to the records in the Government hands, we get only about Kshs5 billion and Ksh6 billion in form of taxes from cigarettes. We also know from the medical personnel that we spend more than Kshs18 billion to treat diseases caused by the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products in this country. A cigarette has over 400 different chemicals. It also causes cancer and many other kinds of diseases. Why can we not increase tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products, so that those smokers meet the expenditure on diseases related to their habits? Why should we over-tax other areas which we really need to encourage to come up? These are some of the ways which can help the common man. This is something which has, in fact, been agreed on by the World Health Organization (WHO). Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of my colleagues have also referred to Section 5, Cap.423, of the Constitutional Offices Amendment. My only appeal is that we really need to address that particular law. If we bring these matters in the Finance Bill, it is tantamount to, at least, going through the back door. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with respect to the Capital Gains Tax, my concern is that if we are going to proceed along the same line that is suggested in the Bill, it means that those 3264 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 31, 2006 who come from the lower and middle income brackets will never rise on the social ladder. Most people, because of lack of access to enough money, rely heavily on loans. They take loans and buy small houses. In other countries, the tendency is that once you have bought one house, that is a starting point. You then sell that house to raise a deposit for a bigger one. That way one can rise the social strata. This tax should have been levied on the people who are building big mansions in Kileleshwa and Ngong Road. They are destroying the planning of Nairobi because they have more money than other people. As we claim to have gained a growth rate of 5.8 per cent, we must say also that, in fact, the gap between the poor and rich is ever getting wider. The gap is ever getting wider. That growth rate is suspect because it only applies to a certain privileged section of our community. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a proposed amendment to the Kenya Revenue Act. Let us ask KRA to remember that it is a Kenyan organisation. As a Member of Parliament who represents the City of Kisumu, I would like to say that I have noticed with concern that our people are being removed from KRA, and we are also taxpayers like other Kenyans. Let KRA serve Kenyans. We support it. We want it to collect more taxes. We will support it with all the legislation it requires. But, also, let it be fair. Do not treat it as an ethnic thing. Do not keep only one ethnic community there. It is not that community that owns Kenya. We are all Kenyans. We want Kenya to belong to all. Please, do not keep our people on the brims and sack them unnecessarily, without lawful cause. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am glad that the Stamp Duty Act is being amended. That will include expenses on public, social and educational institutions. That is commendable. With regard to Cap.485 - Capital Markets Act - I only want to make sure--- The Capital Markets Authority will not appear before this House. The Minister for Finance is their boss. They are supervised by all the other Government agencies. This Bill is applicable to them. But we want things to be done in a fair and transparent manner."
}