Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 728665,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/728665/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Henry Rotich",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13142,
        "legal_name": "Henry Rotich",
        "slug": "henry-rotich"
    },
    "content": "a result of the implementation of measures initiated by the dedicated Business Environment Delivery Unit at the Ministry of Industrialisation, and Enterprise Development. Kenya’s business environment has improved remarkably. Over the past three years, Kenya’s ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business indicators has improved from 136 to 92 largely due to reforms in getting credit, getting electricity and ease of starting a business. In 2016, we were ranked third out of the World’s top ten reformers. With the objective of achieving a rank below 50 in the medium term, we have passed appropriate legislation and processes to reduce the time, steps and costs associated with opening a business, obtaining construction permits, single business permits and property registration. To further improve our ranking, I have allocated Kshs250 million to support initiatives to ease the cost of doing business. Today, Kenya is a preferred investment destination in Africa with many major companies across the globe starting operations in the country. As a result, foreign direct investment (FDI) has risen from about US dollar 0.514 billion in 2013, to at least 2.3 billion US dollar 2.3 billion in 2016. In an effort to reduce obstacles that hinder faster growth of investment, the Government has established a One Stop Centre (OSC) for investors which will be operational by April 2017. The Government has also established e-regulation and will soon be establishing e-Opportunities to enable investors interested in Kenya to search for investment opportunities available in Kenya from the comfort of their homes. These initiatives, in addition to the existing Huduma Centers, will provide comprehensive information to investors on licences, permits and approvals that are currently offered in a multiplicity of Government agencies located in different parts of the city, further sustaining increased FDI inflows in the country. We are aware of complaints from our business community of double taxation of their activities by county governments. This is not only bad for our investment climate but is also a violation of Article 209 of our Constitution. Accordingly, I will be making legislative proposals to Parliament that will set out how county governments may raise revenues without violating the Constitution and raising the cost of doing business. Hon. Speaker, in the past four years, the Government has invested heavily in security in order to make Kenyans and their properties safe and secure. This investment has progressively reversed security threats, especially those posed by terrorism and this has seen the tourism sector make a strong come back with increased employment. In addition, to further secure the country and reduce crime rates, we have substantially increased the number of our police officers, to more than 98,732 compared to 78,885 in 2013. This has narrowed the ratio of police to the citizens to 1 officer to about 400 citizens, just about the United Nations recommendation of 1 officer to 450 citizens. Our police officers have been equipped to respond faster to distress calls. In four years, we have acquired additional 3,208 police service vehicles, thus significantly improving their mobility."
}