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{
    "id": 51167,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/51167/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 465,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "If you look at the BPS, you will realize they have only provided for the 15 per cent in 2012/13. This gives you the impression that the Government has not woken up to the fact that we have a new Constitution. Another issue which is also very serious is that this BPS does not give quantifiable outputs. We do not know what we are expected to achieve. Even when we are talking of development, what level of development? Talk about employment. We have even EPZs, but you will realize that the people who work in EPZs are paid about Kshs150 per day. But the products are exported to other countries. Then we pay a lot of money to these countries when the products come back. What deliberate effort is the Government taking to make sure that our people are not exploited and that the youth get more jobs? What is there in this BPS to address this? What we have is an attempt to do incremental budgeting. It is business as usual. We have spoken time and again, that we want this country to adopt programme-based budgeting. We want to know the projects that we will do. What is the value for money that we put in those programmes? It is not a question of the Ministry of Education telling us that, last year, you gave us Kshs7 billion, this year we need Kshs8 billion. Then you give Kshs1 billion or 10 per cent across the board. That cannot help the country to grow. We need a clear strategy on how this country will develop. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, my colleague talked about the Equalization Fund. Chapter 12 has not been suspended. So, the Ministry has no reason whatsoever to deny the regions of this country these funds. He should provide these funds immediately. The BPS must have the 0.5 per cent Equalization Fund. A lot has been said about CDF. I want to plead with my colleagues. When we are addressing the issue of CDF, we should not even look at it that we are the ones who are managing it. This money goes to the grassroots level, so it does not matter who manages it. It goes to the grassroots level to help our constituents. We must make sure that the correct amount goes to the grassroots. There is no question of begging the Minister. This is the law. If you look at the BPS, the Minister, in his wisdom, or lack of it, I do not know which one to use, has just decided to remove CDF in the 2012/13 budget. I do not know which law he has applied on this. There is nothing inconsistent between CDF and this Constitution. This Constitution is even re-emphasizing and giving more weight to CDF. So, the issue of taking away CDF is not legal. It is not provided for. All the devolved funds, which are there, will be there if they were set by an Act of Parliament. I want to talk about Appropriations-in-Aid (A-in-A). This Fund is always under- disclosed. We have told the Minister that we want this money to be treated as revenue and to be collected by the tax collector."
}