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{
"id": 238574,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/238574/?format=api",
"text_counter": 255,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Syongo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 316,
"legal_name": "Zaddock Madiri Syong'oh",
"slug": "zaddock-syongoh"
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"content": "Much obliged. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move:- THAT, aware that the Distributive Trade Sector and related services account for more than 20 per cent of the country's GDP and employment, and considering that this sector is the primary catalyst and facilitator of sustainable growth of the manufacturing, agricultural, livestock and fisheries sectors; concerned that in spite of its pivotal role in the economy, distributive trade is presently conducted haphazardly due to lack of structured institutional and legal framework, this House grants leave to introduce a Bill for an Act of Parliament entitled \"The October 18, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3009 Trade Co-ordination and Promotion Bill\" to provide for the establishment of External Trade and Internal Trade Co-ordination and Promotion Authorities, the National Chamber of Commerce and Joint Trade Advisory Board and for their functions and related matters. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I move this Motion, two things have happened. The police have been fighting hawkers, who are essentially Kenyans who,because they cannot get jobs in the formal sector, have resorted to buying and selling various commodities to sustain themselves in a legal manner. If you look at Page 20 of today's Daily Nation, it is indicated that 20,000 jobs will be lost at Mlolongo Trading Centre, which was developed and is now a very vibrant trading centre, but was built without any co-ordination and reference being made to the various policy bodies, such as the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. As a result, a substantial amount of investment has to be lost because the trading premises at Mlolongo have to be pulled down. On Page 7 of the same newspaper, it is indicated that the City Council intends to fine Kenyans who buy any goods from a hawker. A hawker is a small-scale trader. Any Kenyan who buys any commodity from a hawker shall be fined Kshs10,000 or made to serve a three-month imprisonment. Those two illustrations indicate clearly the complete lack of any policy whatsoever. There is no single authority of legal framework that enables Kenyan traders to do business, invest and create jobs for their fellow Kenyans. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if this Motion is passed, it will give me and this House the opportunity to look at a Bill whose primary purpose will be to create four institutions. The first one will be the Kenya External Trade Authority, to co-ordinate policies on all matters relating to export trade in Kenya, both in agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Secondly, if this House grants leave to introduce the Bill, the Bill will seek to create the Kenya Internal Trade Authority to co-ordinate all policies relating to internal trade. The Bill will also seek to create the legislative framework to enable all the parties concerned, namely, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the traders themselves to create space for Kenyan traders to develop appropriate premises in both residential areas in urban centres, as well as in trading centres in the rural areas, so that Kenyans can invest in legitimate trade and carry out their businesses in an orderly and economically viable manner. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, thirdly, it intends to give a statutory status to the Kenya Chamber of Commerce as the umbrella organisation of those who are involved in trade. We presently have the Kenya Chamber of Commerce and, indeed, the Government has given it certain functions. For example, this is the institution that provides the certificate of origin, which all those who import goods from Kenya need in order for them to buy goods from Kenya. However, the institution has no legal framework. The envisaged Bill will give the Kenya Chamber of Commerce a clear mandate on what it should do as the umbrella organisation of traders."
}