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{
    "id": 41851,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/41851/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 231,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The Tax measures and other miscellaneous amendments I intend to propose hereunder are broadly categorised into four priority areas, which complement the various expenditure policies that I have outlined in the earlier parts of my Statement. These include facilitating private sector growth and development, cushioning the economy and our people against high commodity prices, ensuring equity and fairness in our tax system, and enhancing tax administration. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in view of the critical role played by the private sector in wealth and employment creation for the prosperity of our nation, I have proposed additional measures to complement those that I have already outlined. I now turn to promotion of Agriculture for food security and employment. As an alternative to producing traditional crops, farmers have diversified and embraced fruit farming to mitigate the now frequent rain failures. We, therefore, need to promote value added linkages by supporting our food farmers to enhance their competitiveness. In this regard, aseptic plastic bags used to store fruit extracts will be granted duty remission and imported at the rate of 10 per cent instead of the Common External Tariff (CET) of 25 per cent. We are reputed to also have robust dairy and poultry sub-sectors in the region. The high cost of premixes used in the manufacture of animal and poultry feeds continues to impact negatively on these critical inputs. In order to further support the gains made in this important sub-sector, we have reduced the Import Duty from 10 per cent to zero per cent. Mr. Speaker, Sir, amongst other measures, passenger traffic in our airports continues to push positive growth. This calls for measures to further support our international airports to enhance their competitiveness, service delivery and also to mitigate matters of security and safety and promote quality airport services. We, therefore, propose to exempt from paying Import Duty apron buses used at our airports. With regard to further supporting security for faster development, assuring protection of property rights, security for life and properties is critical to investment. Indeed, as we continue to expand our infrastructure, enhancing security will be critical in re-positioning Kenya as the regional investment destination of choice. In this regard, vehicles and equipment imported by the Kenya police shall be exempt from Import Duty. Mr. Speaker, Sir, security equipment such as hand-held metal detectors, CCTV cameras, bomb detectors, under carriage walk through metal detectors and under carriage mirrors will also enjoy duty exemption. This will make it cheaper for other security providers to provide this critical service in the wake of global terrorism and security threats. In the recent past His Excellency the President has issued a directive that all sim cards in use be registered for security purposes. To this end, we propose to amend the law to make it mandatory for issuers of sim cards to ensure registration before activation for use by their subscribers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the world today has become a global village. In order to enable local banks to provide banking services to their customers while abroad without having to open subsidiaries, I propose to amend the Banking Act to require the Central Bank of Kenya to formulate guidelines to allow banks to enter into arrangements with banks outside Kenya to offer limited banking services to Kenyans while abroad."
}