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{
    "id": 421310,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/421310/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 286,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Gikaria",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2489,
        "legal_name": "David Gikaria",
        "slug": "david-gikaria"
    },
    "content": "on the shores of Lake Victoria, Lake Turkana or any other water body. Of course, even in Nakuru now, we have fish from the fish ponds and we use fishing nets. That is being done by peasant farmers who have decided to do fish farming. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, so as we look into the general issues of the amendments as it has been indicated, it is important to remember that the Government wants to attain the objective that it intended to. We have been pushing for the implementation of the resolution on 20 kilometres bitumen gravelling of our roads. When we talk to the Cabinet Secretary and we are waiting for his report in the Committee on Implementation, he tells us “Yes, we will give you the report but I can tell you the task is enormous for us. We do not have that kind of money. We also need to put that money in the Budget. We need to collect money in this country to be able to do that.” Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the only aspect that I agree with hon. Mbadi is the amendment to Article 33 of the original Bill. People have just been getting money from this country using fraudulent means. This is by giving fake tax and VAT returns. I totally support hon. Mbadi regarding hiking or increasing the penalties that will be meted on any businessperson who will give fraudulent VAT claims. Secondly, on the aspect of production of reports for purposes of tax evaluation, I think it is an amendment that needs to be supported. Every businessman should be compelled by the law to produce records for purposes of calculations of the tax that he is supposed to pay. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, in short, I want to say that this Bill, much as it is intended to assist the ordinary Kenyan, we must be very careful that we do not pass a Bill that will make this Government be unable to collect money and not do the work that it had pledged to do. If, indeed, in the Third Reading we will be allowed to itemize specific areas that we are supposed to zero-rate on VAT, then we will be getting in touch with Mbadi to see how best we can do that. These will include electricity and water. People take bottled water. An ordinary man will not buy half a litre of water at Kshs70 or Ksh100 and drink it. So, again, when we say the supply of water, we have to be very specific. For the ordinary mwananchi who gets piped water, it is important for us to be able to think on how we can assist him. But for the people who are using bottled water here, we need to include such items in the VAT bracket. I do not want to say that I support. I am not supporting the Bill per se, but with a few amendments and itemising the Bill, I will support it. However, as it is, I stand to oppose it."
}