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{
    "id": 466733,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/466733/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 330,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Kanyua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 981,
        "legal_name": "Priscilla Nyokabi Kanyua",
        "slug": "priscilla-nyokabi-kanyua"
    },
    "content": "When I was in the Budget and Appropriations Committee, I raised the matter that we are confronted with the Finance Bill without the parent Act, the substantive legislation and without understanding what is the problem with the law as it existed before. Why must we change it now? Then we have to make quick decisions around supporting some of these amendments. So, while I support the Bill this particular year, I would urge that in the years to come, we have explanatory notes accompanying legislations, so that we understand where we are taking our country. For example, we have the question on the VAT Act even in this particular Bill. We recently passed the VAT Act and there is a fair amount of complaints by the public, especially the matter of processed milk. It has been unfortunate that our Kenyans do not know that there is a long list of items that this House exempted from taxation including sanitary towels. Part of the reasons of collecting more taxation was to be able to subsidize those who cannot afford. Collect more tax, have enough money and then come back and subsidize those members of your society who are poor. For example, the aged, the women and girls in schools who still need sanitary towels. So, the biggest complaints that we now have on the VAT Act is the question of processed milk, which I think should have received due attention by this House. So, in the face of having the question of processed milk out there, if Parliament goes out and exempts sports equipment, while it is important to also acknowledge that sports is important for our country, the people are complaining most about processed milk and not sports equipment. So, there is going to be a misnomor between what Parliament does and what the people out there are complaining about. I oppose the amendment on the VAT Act and I urge that after six months, as the procedures allow us, we look at the VAT Act again and make substantive policy decisions around the items that we exempt that Kenyans want to be looked at. In the meantime and in the process, we have to continue emphasising to the public that taxation is important, that we have to pay our taxes. We have to have efficient comprehensive tax regimes and the more laws we pass around making the tax regime efficient, the better for our country. Then in the meantime, the VAT Act should not receive any further amendment until such a time as there is enough consideration on what other items should be exempted. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when laws like this also come, it is also important for us to begin to look at the question of tax breaks. Which are the kinds of groups of people receiving tax breaks in our country? There was a question on whether the tax breaks are bringing in foreign direct investment and we might need to look at those matters a little bit more intensivly. I would urge that next year or in the Bills that we have next, we have explanatory notes. We note that women and youth in this country remain outside the financial sectors and we need to start considering very actively how to engage those groups back into the financial sector. An explanatory note on a Bill like this one would help us to do that. I support the Bill."
}