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{
    "id": 728092,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/728092/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 290,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Midiwo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 184,
        "legal_name": "Washington Jakoyo Midiwo",
        "slug": "jakoyo-midiwo"
    },
    "content": "contained in my Bill. Where on earth do people get taxed 50 per cent? I saw the CS for Sports, Culture and the Arts, Mr. Wario, speak in Murang’a yesterday. The media gave him so much coverage. Even today’s Daily Nation has a story about him. He said that the 50 per cent tax on gross betting collections will be given to his Ministry to promote sporting activities. I became very curious because some officials of his Ministry were recently taken to court for embezzling funds which were meant for the national Olympic team. He was there, saying that the money that will be realised from taxation of the gross betting collections will be administered by his Ministry. On the day the CS made that speech, I said that there was more than meets the eye. I now know better having been involved so much in this matter. One day, I must bring proper regulations to regulate the betting industry, if I will still be around. We must make sure that we take care of the betting industry. It is not about money. Slapping a 50 per cent tax on gross betting collections basically means you are going after somebody in the industry. Maybe, somebody is calling the operators of the betting companies to go and see him. Where on earth is somebody taxed 50 per cent on gross income? Some of the betting companies are not making money at all. Some of them are connected to senior politicians. They may wish to push out the companies that are making money. That is why you should not make a proposal that looks like a piece of wood that has been cut off a tree trunk. It is baseless. Where are the regulations? Why would we not have carried the regulations first? Secondly, the Chinese cannot rule anything. The Chinese running this industry are killing Kenyan children. They could be behind this thing. It could be that they are seeing somebody to ensure that they kill the betting companies that abide by the existing regulations, so that they push Kenyans to gamble outside the laid down procedures. That way, you unconstitutionally kill the industry as it is today. My friend has challenged me. I am only saying that you cannot do populist things. If you tax me 50 per cent, my business will collapse. It is interesting that the CS for Sports, Culture and the Arts is the one who commented yet betting is under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. It is very curious. Some people are creating a scenario where they can make money. Fifty per cent of what I estimated to be the quantum of the gross collections I saw published in today’s newspapers is about Kshs50 billion. How sad? Why would somebody think that Kenyans and Members of Parliament are stupid? Where are the regulations? Why did the CS not take the opportunity to import some provisions of my Bill and make them law? He can do so through the Budget Statement Policy. Hon. Speaker, I said I will not say much, but you do not know what else is in the estimated Kshs2.6 trillion that is just cooked up for people to open up avenues of making money. I was very curious when I was watching news yesterday at 1.00p.m. and in the evening. Why is my friend, Michael Kamau, at home and Mr. Wario is not home? These are people who have stolen from this system. Why is he still in office? The Jubilee Government cannot take pride in keeping somebody with questionable credentials in office. What happened during Kenya at 50 celebrations cannot be forgotten. So, I know my friend, Gikaria, is being hurt about this one and I am not going to say why. However, we are back to square one. I can tell you no economy that wants to move forward makes tax proposals that kill businesses. I was here when the National Treasury wanted to kill Keroche Industries. I was a Member of the Departmental Committee of Finance, Planning and Trade and we dealt with the matter for 10 years. I asked them why they wanted to kill a local industry. The National Treasury mandarins also wanted to kill Mastermind Tobacco because international companies were paying money. You cannot do budgeting like that! You cannot make empty promises. In this Budget, 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."
}