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{
    "id": 579138,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/579138/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Onyango",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1635,
        "legal_name": "Silvance Osele Onyango",
        "slug": "silvance-osele-onyango"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Finance Bill. While going through the Bill, I realized that it gives and also takes away. It has advantages and disadvantages. One aspect that has come out clearly and which has impressed me is the aspect of allowing the low income earners to own property and buy land without being taxed. This is a process of encouraging people to buy land, build simple houses through their means and own property. Maybe at a later date, when their properties rise in value, then a percentage of tax that is beyond three million shillings can now be introduced. That is very important because we are in a country where over 70 per cent are low income earners. Most of the big businesses or deals done in the country normally touch on rich people leaving behind poor people. So, if you do not give incentives to encourage them to live positively within their means, the urge for being corrupt in order to cross over the other side would arise. Another aspect is when we levy further taxes to the already overburdened Kenyans. We are not supposed to allow any further taxation before whatever we have is properly utilized. We know that a lot of money, almost over 40 per cent of the budget goes to waste during the implementation stage. So, we would like to see a scenario where we first maximise the use of whatever is available before thinking about levying wananchi further taxes. I am saying this because the Bill touches on the matter of sugar. We are in a county where we do not value what we have but we value more what we do not have. If you compare the importation of cheap sugar that you are being promised which is already in the Kenyan Market, you will realise it goes for Kshs190 per two kilogrammes. Given an option of between Kshs190 and Kshs245 which we sell Sony or Mumias sugar, any common mwananchi will go 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."
}