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{
"id": 252546,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/252546/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kenneth",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Finance",
"speaker": {
"id": 167,
"legal_name": "Peter Kenneth",
"slug": "peter-kenneth"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to donate some of my time to a few selected respective hon. Members. The Treasury appreciates the comments that have been made and the issues that have been brought up here by hon. Members. Indeed, it is arising from such issues that we are able to pick the feeling of hon. Members as we prepare for the main Budget, to take into consideration some of the facts and opinions that have been raised. We have keenly followed the debate. One of the issues that have particular concerns to hon. Members is on the implementation of the Budget as approved by this House last year, and in respective years. We are aware that we need to respect issues that have been factored in the Budget, that have not been implemented. We want to reassure hon. Members that action will be taken against Accounting Officers who return funds to the Treasury without any reasonable excuse, denying Kenyans the services for which the Budget was set for. Indeed, Budget implementation is a major component of the performance contract of the Accounting Officers, which they have now signed. I am sure that one or two years from now, we will be able to pin-point in the performance contract, those officers who do not perform their duties. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have also noted the concern by hon. Members, of wastage by Ministries through purchase of vehicles and equipment. It appears as if this has been a perennial problem. We, indeed, are looking at what takes place in neighbouring and developed countries. We intend to provide a transport policy which is being prepared. We hope it will address this particular issue, conclusively. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Supplementary Estimates allow Ministries to realign their budgets. This is because in certain cases, we need to realign unforseen expenditures. The reduction in the Development Expenditure is not for reallocation to the Recurrent Expenditure. The reductions have been necessitated by the revisions on donor commitments for various programmes. The reduction in the Development Expenditure for the Ministry of Health was due to revisions to commitment of the Global Fund. Indeed, the provisions for the Recurrent Vote for Health have increased to cater for personnel expenses and other operating expenses. Hon. Kipchumba and Mr. Syongoh raised an April 25, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 663 issue about KenGen, which demonstrates in some way, confidence because we have more Kenyans subscribing for shares. I also appreciate the concern which was raised from an economic point of view, of inflation. If you look at certain factors, like the dollar rate vis-a-vis the inflation, you will see that we are still in sound management. This Government has an obligation to feed its people and prevent any further loss of lives. Indeed, the supplementary budget has been caused by the need by the Government to undertake certain urgent measures to mitigate the effects of drought. I support the sentiments of hon. Members, of the need to find a lasting and sustainable solution to famine relief. Indeed, the Budget, beginning last year, set resources for boreholes to be sank in ASAL areas. This will increase accessibility and availability of safe, clean drinking water for domestic use and for the livestock, which has been a source of conflict in the ASAL areas. The Treasury wants to assure hon. Members that this issue will be taken very seriously, while drafting the next Budget. An issue was raised about the strategic food reserve. I think we have fully taken care of that for the time being. We hope that when we are working on the next Budget, we will allocate more money for strategic food reserve. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we must count ourselves lucky because the rains have come and we can now plant maize. However, we need to have proper planning so that in future, we are able to use our own strategic food reserve to feed our people. We also appreciate that people in ASAL areas have not only been affected from a point of what to eat, but also from a point of their livestock. We need to think of how to re-stock the livestock so that they can go back to their old habits and be able to feed themselves. The Supplementary Estimates, as hon. Members may have noted, have recorded a provision for compensation of civil servants. This is despite the recent increments that were made. This has arisen due to the implementation of the integrated personnel payroll data that has brought about transparency and quality in personnel information, and hence eliminated over-estimation of the wage bill and leakage in the payroll. I would like to assure the hon. Members that the reduction in Development Expenditure was due to reduction in dollar commitment. In the case of the Ministry of Roads and Public Works the reduction of money meant to fund some projects is because no work has yet started and if the funds are left as reflected in the Vote they will be surrendered to the Treasury. That is the case with regard to the procurement procedures that are now in place. We have now passed a Bill on procurement matters and we are going to operationalise it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we hope that as we approach the next Budget, the operations of that Public Procurement and Disposal Act will be in place to hasten the implementation of what this House has budgeted for. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to thank hon. Members for the commitment that they have shown this afternoon when discussing the Supplementary Estimates. We have heard of all shades of comments. I can assure Members, on behalf of Treasury, that we have taken in those comments and we shall consider them, especially at this time when we are approaching the next Budget. With those few remarks, I wish to appeal to Members to support this Bill."
}