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{
    "id": 515607,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/515607/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 185,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to speak to the Motion on the Budget Policy Statement. This has been a very engaging process as a Member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. There are various issues that arise in my observation. If you look at the manner in which we are allocating funds, there is no covariance between that and the five pillars as enshrined in the proposed Budget Policy Statement (BPS). This is very worrying. It, therefore, means that there is a very distinct dichotomy between the narrative of the Statement and the resource envelope as provided for. Going forward, there is a need to align these two to ensure that whatever resources and narrative that we have around the attainment of the various targets including the Vision 2030, some of these priorities are funded. Even when you look at the very funding that has been allocated to sectors that would speak to the five pillars of the BPS, you realise that there is disconnect between such allocations and the aim of the BPS with regard to the outputs and outcomes. That is something that needs to be looked into, so that we do not just repackage an incremental budgeting process and call it a program and yet most of the funds are not really going to ensure that, indeed, we get the desired results. The other issue that I also want to note is that there is a very limited timeline for the consideration of the BPS. We had to sit very late at night and over the weekend as the Budget and Appropriations Committee, to listen to the various submissions. We felt that it was not adequate that we have to go through all these provisions within such a limited time. There is a need, therefore, to amend the Public Finance Management Act (PFM), so that we can provide for more adequate consultations and engagements. There are quite a number of serious questions that were raised by the Committee that would suffice the proper interaction between the Committee, the various Cabinet Secretaries and Chairpersons of the various Departmental Committees that did not take place. In my opinion, this would have helped, so that, for example, when we are allocating resources, we know that they are going to achieve the desired effect for which they were asked. The Budget and Appropriations Committee observed and rightfully so that the targets set out by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to collect taxes may have been very high. In fact, the Committee observed that we need to reduce that target by Kshs50 billion if we were to go by the performance of last year. This is very important because it The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}