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{
    "id": 237845,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/237845/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 337,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kagwe",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Information and Communications",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 229,
        "legal_name": "Mutahi Kagwe",
        "slug": "mutahi-kagwe"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, indeed, I was about to rise on a point of order to ask whether it is in order for the hon. Member to protect others. However, I understand the situation, given the relationship between Mr. Sungu and the Chairman. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this Bill because of a number of reasons. First, the amendments that have been proposed will go a long way to cut the cost of doing business. This cost of doing business is not just paying for the licence. Indeed, what is saved here, more than even the cash, is the time it takes to get some of those licenses. A trader from Meru District who wants to trade in Kisumu District has to get a trading licence both in Kisumu and Meru. You can imagine the time it will take even if you are required to pay Kshs20 in Kisumu and Kshs20 in Meru. Time is the biggest saving as far as this Bill is concerned. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill because it will save many people in my constituency. We sell milk. We did not even realise that from the farm gate, you are supposed to have a licence to sell milk to the next person. I think it will help our own farmers. The Bill also repeals the Coffee Act, to address the question of coffee auctions. The coffee auctioneers are only subjected to one licence, instead of being registered as both coffee auctioneers and under the Auctioneers Act. That is a very good move to save the cost of doing business and creating efficiency. The Bill also touches on the tourism sector. Tourism is very important to this nation. It is bringing in 15 per cent - and it is going to 25 per cent - of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). When you think about the inconveniences that hoteliers go through just because of some simple licences, it behooves us to act expeditiously to pass these amendments to save the people of this country the expenditures incurred in going through unnecessary troubles and licences. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of the costs that you see here were basically supposed to finance salaries. When you have a situation where you collect money to finance salaries and you are not even clear about what those you are paying do, then it absolutely makes no sense to have those licences. It is for that reason that I support this Bill and congratulate the Minister for Finance for bringing it at this appropriate time. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}