Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 521156,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/521156/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 210,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ogolla",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1264,
        "legal_name": "Gideon Ochanda Ogolla",
        "slug": "gideon-ochanda-ogolla"
    },
    "content": "asking for extension and we might be viewed as a country that does not look at where others are going. This procrastination has to come to an end. Before the privatization takes place, and by the time the COMESA date comes to an end next week, definitely, there will be sugar in this country.This is exactly where we have to be very careful in terms of how we want to run this industry. There will be no production because all the factories are going to close. As much as they are talking about some levels of production at the moment, they are going to close because the amount of sugar that we are going to be getting after 28th February, 2015 is massive and cheap. So, death is imminent. With all these in mind, I think that the best thing that we need to do as Members, and particularly Members from the sugar-cane growing areas, is to move fast and engage. Otherwise, we are going to privatise the Mumias way and there is enough caution. In the Report, there are quite a bit of caveats that have been mentioned. With regard to those who appeared before the Committee, there was a research team from the House; a team from Treasury; and another team from the Privatisation Commission. Each one of them has indicated some element of caution that needs to be looked at. As we go through the process of privatisation and as we make the initial steps towards doing this, there is enough caution that we have here. There are cautions that have been brought up by Members of Parliament in their contributions. The main thing that we need to look at is the position of the sugar-cane growers. This is the most fundamental thing. We must get a strategy of regrouping them, especially with the background of the challenges that Mumias had. We know that Mumias had all manner of small shareholders and at the end of the day they could not be grouped together to make serious decisions. We could adopt a strategy that dictates that if we are to privatise we have to buy shares. We could group the small farmers or interests into a big one so that we are able to consolidate some of these shares into some kind of big hands. Another caution that is more serious is that the Government needs to know that it has a number of interested parties within it that need to pick these shares or buy these firms. This must be looked at against the valuation process of these factories. So far we have indication that they are undervalued. It is unfortunate that the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Bill passed the Second Reading just the other day. We will be a little safer if we looked at it through the process of serious valuation in terms of the actual value of these factories. This will, obviously, include land and all those things that have been mentioned. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, let me give the chance to others. Asante sana."
}