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{
    "id": 576015,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/576015/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 153,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Conditions that appertain to some of these companies have to worry us a lot, as much as we want to attract foreign direct investment into our country; one of the ways to deal with it is through measures we will implement at the Special Economic Zones. First of all, it appears like the licensing regime that is in force at the moment tends to give a carte blanche to the economic zones operators with regard to staff welfare and remuneration. As we talk about regulations, if the benefit is to accrue to our country, let that benefit start from the source; this is with the employees. I have seen cases of companies that operate within the special economic zones; if you look at the lot of our employees even in terms of what they are paid, it makes you wonder. It portrays a yawning expression of lack of Government, or absence of the Government as it were. Clause 7 of this Bill talks of goods and activities within a special economic zone, which shall qualify for customs control. Enforcement of this is necessary to prevent unscrupulous business people from diverting such goods into the domestic market. This practice tends to be prevalent. A lot of people manufacture purportedly for export only to avoid certain conditionalities that accompany trading within the country. As we enact this Bill to give the special economic zones investors an environment to work in, let us be strict with enforcement, so that if somebody manufactures for export, it be for export. I noticed that part of the requirements for the licensing of a company to operate in a special economic zone is, first, to be mindful of the environment, and two is to respect the local communities. We had this very sad case of the lead factory in Mombasa which has been in the news for quite a long time. If we are going to allow companies to come to this country only to expose our people to preventable peril of the sort that we are seeing in Mombasa, then the aspect of regulation is brought into serious question."
}