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{
    "id": 364435,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/364435/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
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    "content": "accumulated in the last few years, and it is now estimated to be close to 50 per cent of our GDP. This is not the route any leadership would wish to follow. Can I just remind us, hon. Speaker, Sir, that many years ago the former President of Zambia, Mr. Kenneth Kaunda, after retirement, came to this country. He was interviewed by one of the dailies at that time. He was asked: “What is the one thing that you would do differently were you to go back to Zambia and become the President of that country? What is the one mistake that you might say that you made?” This is what he said: “When I was the President of the Republic of Zambia we made the mistake of subsidizing consumption instead of subsidizing production.” That is the burden of our Report today. Let us not subsidize consumption; rather let us subsidize production. Hon. Speaker, Sir, provisions for debt, pensions and salaries for constitutional office holders are provided for under the Consolidated Fund Services (CFS). These have risen in the recent past. The Committee noted with concern that with the rise of the CFS allocations our national Budget is also becoming increasingly inflexible. This is because the CFS services are a mandatory expenditure that is by law predetermined and it must form a first charge to the CFS. What this means is that the level of resources available to the Government to allocate by discretion is actually reduced. We should realize that the rising deficit will have huge implications for our future Budgets. It will limit our capacity for discretionary development. Huge sums of money are spent on numerous non-core items such as foreign travel, hospitality, and so on. Article 201(d) of the Constitution states thus: “Public money shall be used in a prudent and responsible way.” As noted earlier we must make every effort to reduce wastage of public resources and apply them to the most productive activities. Indeed, hon. Members, the principle that should guide Budget making should, therefore, be to achieve the greatest public good in the most cost effective way. In reviewing the 2013/2014 Budget Estimates, my Committee held public hearings on the Estimates in 10 centres across the country. These were Mombasa, Nyeri, Kisumu, Embu, Nakuru, Kakamega, Garissa, Eldoret, Nairobi and Isiolo. Public hearings were conducted to receive recommendations of Kenyans on the proposed Budget Estimates. The proceedings of these hearings are annexed to the Report tabled before this House. On the overview, the public asked my Committee to prioritize the following five areas: 1. youth empowerment and employment creation; 2. provision of basic social services, education and healthcare; 3. food security; 4. roads and infrastructure; and, 5. security; After consultations with the public and Departmental Committees of this House, my Committee proposed the adjustments in some areas of the Budget, which were found not to be of priority for this country at this point in time. My Committee also sought to ensure that non-priority expenditures are kept at an absolute minimum. This Committee is aware of the need to check excessive growth in public spending and we, therefore, propose the following adjustments. Under the national Treasury, I beg your pardon---"
}