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"id": 419219,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/419219/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. A.B. Duale",
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"id": 15,
"legal_name": "Aden Bare Duale",
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"content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, on the technical terms, I have said it on the Floor of the House many times. It is the business of hon. Members to read Bills; on what is zero-rated and what is exempted. This is because if you do not know the difference between those two, then in the first place, you cannot even get the discussion. Therefore, people should know what is zero-rated and what is exempted. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I was his senior and we were in the same university. Therefore, he is one of my disciples. In fact, we were in the same alumnae and I have a lot of respect for him. I am coming to that. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, items like wheat flour, maize flour, bread and medicine were exempted from tax. Some people were saying we should impose VAT, but I am sure now, that is water under the bridge. What is the essence of taxation? We know the gap between the poor and the rich. There are many rich people and companies that evade taxation, including VAT. As a House, we must agree. As much as we want to cushion the poor, we must deal with those who go and ask for Kshs.1 VAT refund. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we must invest in rural development, agricultural productivity and food security as a country. Once we expand the food supply, the prices will reduce for the common man. In this regard, this Government has invested substantial resources both at the county, Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) and at the national level. During the last Budget, Kshs8 billion was allocated for irrigation, Kshs2 billion for agro-business and Kshs7.5 billion for water harvesting. All these will reduce prices. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, people are talking about wage bill. Everybody in this country wants wages to be reduced as long as the price of unga will also reduce from Kshs120.00 to Kshs60.00. If we reduce the price of one packet of unga as a country, from Kshs120.00 to Kshs60.00, I am telling you even hon. Members of Parliament will want their salaries reduced. If you reduce the cost of transport, health care and irrigation, nobody will refuse pay cuts. But here in our country the scenario is the opposite. Prices are going up and salaries are going up. What will be the end result? It will be inflation. I am sure the Departmental Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade, led by my able Chair, who has again brought a serious controversy in our country - I approached him in the last two nights and he told me he wants to propose amendments for more than ten items in the Constitution. That means, every day we will be at a referendum and therefore, there will be many referendums. I want him to forget, or at least, give a break to those referendums and the wars he has with women hon. Members of Parliament. I want him to look at this Bill, have dialogue with hon. Ng’ongo and all of us and we agree on what we can amend next Wednesday, if we reach there. With those few remarks, I support."
}