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{
    "id": 364432,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/364432/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 200,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "(i) investigate, inquire into and report on all matters related to coordination, control and monitoring of the national budget; (ii) discuss and review the estimates and make recommendations to the House; (iii) examine the Budget Policy Statement presented to the House. (iv) examine Bills related to the national budget, including the Appropriation Bills; and (v) evaluate tax estimates, economic and budgetary policies and programmes with direct budgetary outlays. The current Estimates amount to Kshs1,628.5 trillion. The discretionary Budget for the national Government amounts to Kshs1.11 trillion. The Kshs210 billion is for counties, Kshs3.4 billion is for the Equalization Fund, Kshs19 billion is for the Legislature and Kshs16.1 billion is for the Judiciary. An additional Kshs380.3 billion has been set aside for the Consolidated Fund services. In the interest of full disclosure, and in respect of the money set aside for the county governments, namely Kshs210 billion, I wish to remind ourselves that the law provides that we give to the counties a minimum of 15 per cent of the last audited accounts. The last audited accounts approved by Parliament for the Financial Year 2010/2011 has a figure of Kshs608 billion. If we were to work with that legal figure, the amount of Kshs210 billion that we have set aside would constitute 34.5 per cent and not 15 per cent. This is more than double the required minimum threshold. If we go with the last audited accounts that have not yet been approved by this House, namely the 2011/2012, the figure of Kshs682 billion would give us 30.8 per cent. That is still way above the 15 per cent minimum threshold that is required by the law. If we go with the projected Estimates from the Treasury which are Kshs920 billion, the figure of Kshs210 billion constitutes 22.82 per cent. That is still way above the minimum legal threshold of 15 per cent. I just thought that for the avoidance of doubt, and in the interest of full disclosure, that information should be made available to this House. Hon. Speaker, Sir, the 2013/2014 Budget marks a great milestone in the public finance architecture of this country. This is because this Budget takes into account the devolved system of government as anticipated by our new Constitution. Unlike in the past, for example, the new figures are shared between the national Government and the 47 county governments according to the responsibilities of each level of government. Public expenditure in this country has more than doubled in the last decade. It is tipped to grow as the national Government and the county governments continue to expand. As the Government borrows to finance the deficit arising from under performance of revenues, the public debt repayment is bound to go high. Members, hard times must call for difficult choices. The Budget and Appropriations Committee is recommending, therefore, that the Government reduces its appetite and contains public spending. Indeed, Article 201(c) of our Constitution provides that the burdens and benefits of the use of resources and public borrowing shall be shared equitably between present and future generations. Let us not mortgage future generations through the build-up of public debt. Let us not mortgage the future generations. This would mean passing a huge debt to our children and their children. Just to remind ourselves this debt has rapidly"
}