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{
    "id": 808327,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/808327/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 256,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Rongai, KANU",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Raymond Moi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2689,
        "legal_name": "Kipruto Moi",
        "slug": "kipruto-moi"
    },
    "content": "will mean that there will be import tax but then those people will not be able to claim on VAT. This means things like medicines, milk and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will become extremely expensive. Those items are mainly used by the majority of Kenyans. These are 90 per cent of Kenyans who are very poor. They depend on LPG, milk and medicine. They require a lot of medicine. Shifting those items to the exemption schedule will mean medicine and LPG will be expensive. I do not support the amendment. I believe that those items should be left at zero- rating so that the suppliers who manufacture those things or those who supply to the manufacturers will be able to claim the VAT from the Government as opposed to passing on that cost to the consumer. When we begin increasing the cost of the LPG, it means that people will not be able to buy cooking gas. It means that they will revert to wood and deplete forests. This is not green energy. We are going the other way. We are not going in the right way. This is wrong. We should make things like kerosene and LPG very cheap for the common person. Now it has reached a point where it will become extremely expensive. On the issue of inputs in the pharmaceutical industry, we know that 90 per cent of Kenyans are not insured in terms of health. When we increase the cost of medicines by those people not being able to claim VAT, how will these people be treated? This is a very worrying point. As I had stated earlier, I support these amendments but the particular one on the VAT Act needs to be looked at carefully. I do not want to delve so much into this. A lot of Members have spoken about betting and gaming. I agree with Mheshimiwa Mille Odhiambo. She is right. Those people engage in gambling because of unemployment. They are idle and have nothing to do. They would rather gamble. It is a vice. Hopefully, by taxing lotteries and gaming companies, the activities will slow down."
}