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{
    "id": 466769,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/466769/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 366,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. J.K. Bett",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1765,
        "legal_name": "James Kimaru Bett",
        "slug": "james-kimaru-bett"
    },
    "content": "exempted while the person earning little is not exempted? The removal of that exemption from paying Excise Duty or whatever other tax by virtue of being a State officer is a good thing. Premiums are paid for insurance which in many cases have been diverted to retirement benefits. This, by any language is tax evasion. You do not pay directly, but you hide certain proceeds that should go to certain people in form of insurance premiums which they will eventually enjoy at the end. I am glad that this particular Bill is removing such benefits that may go to such people. When we say that there is insurance on imported goods, I believe that in economics if you cannot save or generate so much revenue, you cannot be a spendthrift. We want things done all over. We want roads done, but when it comes to collecting revenue we want to sound good to the general public by saying that tax must come down. The next day you say that roads, schools, and hospitals must be done. Where will this money come from? Unless we find sources and more importantly the ones that are not tapped--- We have a lot of tax that is not collected. It is not an issue of there not being enough money. It is not the small person who does not pay tax. As I have said before, it is not the small person who does not pay tax. More often than not, it is the people who earn more money, who have their craft ways of evading tax. So, we have seen such levies work before where every time you pay your electricity bill, there is a small fee. I do not know whether it is 3 per cent or whatever per cent. We lamented, but today, we can see the fruits of this taxation. We have electricity almost everywhere in this country to the most rural areas. We still can get power through the Rural Electrification Tax. We have the Fuel Levy Tax, which we enjoy because we get money for KURA. If we can tap more revenue and be innovative, people can sacrifice for a short time, then we will get long-term benefits."
}