{"id":807353,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/807353/?format=json","text_counter":314,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Nominated, ANC","speaker_title":"Hon. Godfrey Osotsi","speaker":{"id":13172,"legal_name":"Godfrey Osotsi","slug":"godfrey-osotsi"},"content":"Western region, where most of the Members here and I come from, has continued to experience high levels of poverty. Where we used to have sugarcane, we are uprooting it and planting maize. There is a very serious vicious cycle of poverty in our region and we cannot continue this way. This Parliament has the power to take action and decide so that our farmers do not continue suffering. When the Government revived Pan Paper Mills, the residents of Bungoma and Webuye were happy thinking that they were to get back their jobs. Little did we know that Pan Paper Mills was being converted into a godown for sugar. We want to know who are behind this godown at Pan Paper Mills and many more across the country which are storing illicit sugar imported from abroad. We want action to be taken today. This House has dealt with this matter severally. We have a report from the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock with very serious recommendations about what needs to be done so as to resolve the sugar industry challenges. This problem has not been sorted out. This Parliament, in the last Session, recommended that some companies that import sugar must have their licences cancelled. As I speak to you, these companies are still operating under the watch of the sugar directorate. We cannot be sitting here making decisions and they are not implemented."}