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{
    "id": 603261,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/603261/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 140,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Bunyasi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2511,
        "legal_name": "John Sakwa Bunyasi",
        "slug": "john-sakwa-bunyasi"
    },
    "content": "First, I step back by saying that expenditures of public sector, even in most capitalist countries are extremely crucial in fostering development across the sectors in whatever they want to do. In so doing, it does not always match with the flow of public resources. So, there is a mismatch and the public sector has to rely highly on the banking sector or some public private partnerships. In so doing so, they could expose themselves to debt that could be recovered may be by the holders of the debt. Knowing that it is extremely important, we must do everything possible to facilitate county governments to access debt even if it is outside the public domain. I am also fully aware that in doing so, we may get to a point where there is an element of expenditure arrogance from the government that they use resources and are unable to pay because they cannot get reimbursement from the Central Government or tax revenues. By doing this they hobble the capacity of the private sector to function. So, as much as I realise that the economy is promoted strongly through public expenditure, at the same time, we must make sure that, that it is not in a way that hobbles private capacity to provide those services. For example, there is a level at which people tend to the issue of pending bills. If you owe somebody money, you ought to pay it. It happens also that if you owe somebody significant sums of money and you cannot pay it back, then the enterprise cannot function. So, the ability of that enterprise to provide the services that it is providing is reduced substantially. We see that under soft and polite terms like pending bills in Government departments. Otherwise, the heading for those bills should be bills which are hobbling the private sector from functioning. Some of these bills have been incurred year in year out. Some must be too high and you wonder whether they were genuine in the first place. So, it is my humble submission that as much as we should protect county governments in a way analogous to how the national Government is protected, we have to keep in mind that the participation of the private sector is crucial. So, that protection is not a favour. It needs to be done. Thirdly, we must hold our managers of the economy more accountable. Bills ought to be settled when they are due to be settled. They should not be pushed on to next year. 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."
}