Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 245422,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/245422/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 94,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Owino",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I am a sugar-cane farmer. The Minister proposed a levy on sugar-cane farmers, in the name of Sugar Development Levy. As most of us are aware, the sugar industry is in a death bed. Any action like the Minister has taken will increase the problems in the sector. Sugar-cane farmers are heavily taxed. The farmers buy fertilizers at a high cost, they also incur transportation and other serious costs which are levied on them. Therefore, if we increase the levies, we will kill the morale of farmers. The Minister should come out very clearly on the issue. I am sure he did not consult with his counterpart in the Ministry of Agriculture. They should have talked and agreed that it would not be prudent to introduce the levy to our farmers. Every farmer is somehow taxed. It is unheard of, anywhere in the world, for farmers to be taxed directly and I have heard for the first time. In many countries, farmers are subsidised. I do not know why we cannot do that here. In fact, the sugar sector will die because cheap imports will be brought here, and the COMESA deals we have will put our sugar industry into jeopardy and the sector will eventually die. The Minister knows that sugar is a food product. Why did he not zero-rate the VAT on sugar? We have said, many times, that the VAT charged on sugar should be zero-rated. I do not know why that is not done. The Minister will be able to tell us. When the President opened this Session, early this year, he talked about a cotton authority that would soon be put in place. However, the Minister did not say anything about it. I support."
}