Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 878080,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/878080/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 521,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mahamud",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 373,
        "legal_name": "Mohammed Maalim Mahamud",
        "slug": "mohammed-mahamud"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, inflation in this country has been reported to be averaging in 6.9 per cent in the last three years. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the Fiscal Policy, BPS says there will be fiscal consolidation as one of the key objectives for 2019/2020 budget policy. It entails the Government tightening its belt through expenditure cuts as tax increments are not favourable option for the economy. While this is commendable, the challenge will be in maintaining a contractually fiscal path given the prevailing expenditure pressures that mostly increase the current expenditures and reduce development expenditures. As earlier said, the 2019/2020 BPS outlines the Big Four plans as the Government’s key agenda to be implemented in the medium term. It is expected that counties have substantial role to play in actualizing the agenda. However, it is not clear from the proposed allocation and policies on what are the roles of the counties in implementing the agenda. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on county revenues, over the years, counties have received equitable share of Kshs1,572,000,000 and additional Kshs194 billion in form of conditional grants from the national Government as share of revenue for specific programmes. You will notice from the BPS that the annual growth of the rate of equitable share allocated to the counties have been reducing, from 19.3 per cent in 2014/2015 Financial Year, to slightly below 4 per cent in the 2018/2019 Financial Year. The 2019/2020 BPS proposes a reduction in county equitable share from Kshs314 billion to Kshs310 billion in the coming year; a reduction instead of increment. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the main source of financing to counties is equitable share accounting for over 80 per cent. The conditional grants from the national Government as well as the proceeds from loans and grants from Government partners. Counties own share revenue collection has performed dismally. The Own Source Revenue (OSR) is mainly raised from revenue streams such as business permits and imposition of property rates, which is in line with Article 209 of the Constitution"
}