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{
    "id": 369547,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/369547/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 321,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "continues to explore more beneficial trade negotiations with the European Union (EU)”. Hon. Speaker, Sir, even if you Google what the contentious issues are, you will find that they are three. That is according to the EAC and Kenya. It is important for this House to note what these contentious issues are, and if we do not conclusively negotiate them what we are putting ourselves into. If you look at the export taxes, you will find that if we do not insist on them for every raw material we export, we will be exporting jobs. This is because when we export raw materials, we curtail our capacity to do value addition. This means that somebody else will get a job to do the value addition elsewhere. So, we must insist that we retain the policy framework that we control and chose which export taxes we can levy and which ones we cannot. There are three parts of value addition treatment. If we get into any partnership with any other country; a developed country and the benefits of that agreement are better than the ones we are signing with the EU now, it means that the EU automatically gets those benefits. This will tie us down. This means that if in the interest of our nation or our region as the EAC we decide that we need certain imports to spur development in our area and we give concessions, EU will immediately take up the benefits of those concessions without any additional benefit to the EAC or to the country. Hon. Speaker, Sir, if you look at development, you will find that we are an under- developed nation compared with the EU. If we want to compete with the EU it means that we must gain industrial capacity to export finished goods to the EU markets that can also compete in their markets. Otherwise, at our level, we will not enjoy or benefit from the EPAs that we are about to sign. This means that the EU will be able to export everything to Kenya and East Africa to the detriment of our industries and we will not compete by sending our exports to their markets. So, we must insist that there must be associated development assistance to our economy and our countries before we sign the EPAs. We are talking about contentious issues. If we “just urge” the Government as we always say then we will not compel the Government to do anything. We are saying that let us resolve as a House. Article 2(6) of the Constitution says: “Any treaty or convention ratified by Kenya shall form part of the law of Kenya under this Constitution.” So, let us resolve now to ensure that no agency or arm of the Government will go into law-making by signing this Treaty without the conditions laid under this Motion. So, I urge that we resolve. The EPAs can be detrimental. We know the Rapporteur for Right to Food in the United Nations (UN) once said that over 15 million Mexican farmers ended up with their livelihoods wiped out due to the competition that arrived from the US’ subsidized maize. If we do not look at the EPAs properly, the EAC will face the same fate. So, we have to be very careful. I know there is the exclusion list. That is the sensitive goods list. This is what we must debate comprehensively to make sure that the list saves the Kenyan and the East African economy to ensure that our food security is maintained; that we will not allow imports of food items or goods that will undermine the Kenyan farmer from producing food locally. Hon. Speaker, Sir, even as we fight to help or save our industries, as a nation, we must also decide that we cannot be the little economy forever. There is no justification for"
}