Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 577824,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/577824/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Dido",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2749,
        "legal_name": "Col (Rtd) Ali Rasso Dido",
        "slug": "col-rtd-ali-rasso-dido"
    },
    "content": "tax exemption, what net effect does it have on our people? This Bill lays down to the citizenry what they have to pay to the tax man. Currently, we have the East African Common Market and the Customs Union under the East African Community. For Kenya and Kenyans to operate effectively in that market, they should clearly understand the tax regime throughout the East African Community. What has been happening is that if the tax regime in another East African country is much more amiable--- The citizenry have been taking goods to Uganda or Tanzania and bringing them back to Kenya. In the process, that fights competition and the traders who import their good directly to Kenya get disadvantaged. This Bill also lays down, in principle, the Excise Duty attracted by various goods. In the olden days, we used to see the power of the Commissioner-General of the KRA who decided on waiving duties or decided the individuals to be charged excess duties and undervaluation of goods. This Bill provides us the basis of moving away from the whims of individuals to decide what duty to be paid but to pay duty as laid down in the statute or the law of the land. This Bill is likely to encourage investment in our country. One of the problems investors have been finding in investing in Kenya is primarily in the area of the excise duties to be paid. In most cases, this is where rampant corruption is experienced. An individual is told that for him to invest in Kenya he has to pay a certain amount to individuals or proxies and this does not necessarily cover what they want to recoup from their investments. The Customs and Excise Act that used to be there provided a lot of liberties to technocrats in determining what businessmen were going to pay in tax. The Excise Duty Bill provides us with a clear intention on how the tax man should proceed. This Bill is also about resource generation. Over the years we have heard that 30 per cent of our tax money goes to a black hole called “corruption”. It does not go to development. More and more, the Kenyans we represent want to see that their tax money is not wasted, pilfered and is not stolen by individuals. Finally, there are many areas in this Bill which will be amended so that it reflects the needs and wishes of the people we represent. I beg to support."
}