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{
    "id": 878136,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/878136/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 577,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Halake",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13184,
        "legal_name": "Abshiro Soka Halake",
        "slug": "abshiro-soka-halake"
    },
    "content": "There are a lot of issues, but I know that this budget is geared to the Big Four Agenda of manufacturing, universal health care, food security and affordable housing. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what is worrying me is the fact that we have become a net importer of everything. At which point will we spur production and manufacturing in this budget or at the implementation stage when we are importing everything? We have talked about importation of maize which killed our local production. What has been proposed as a way of making sure that manufacturing is supported in exactly what was proposed in the previous five or six BPS. So, what is different now and why would our manufacturing sector thrive based on this budget? I do not see anything different. Therefore, I hope that at the execution or control stage, this House will look at what is different? I do not see any policy or direction that will bring a consequential change to unleash the manufacturing capacity of this country. For instance, as net importers, it is a way of abetting corruption. When a person imports, it is easier for them to get their cut and move on as opposed to the painful process of making sure that there is local production of everything. I had a Motion in this House where the local production of sanitary towels is taxed. How is such a basic need for a woman, who does not choose to bleed, taxed? Therefore, we have killed the cotton industry and the entire value chain of that small but very important manufacturing area and imports are preferred. I have issues on how we will spur growth in terms of manufacturing and other service sectors. This is because I do not see robust or tangible policy direction in terms of taxation to support local production or replace the skewed importation over local production. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, almost 80 per cent of our projects have collapsed. I know we call them delays but frankly, I have never seen any that has been resuscitated afterwards. In transportation infrastructure, we have ghost roads and airports. A case in point is the Isiolo International Airport that has 1.4 kilometer of runway. We spent Kshs2.7 billion but nobody flies there. When I go home, I have to fly to a small air strip in Lewa which is apparently safer but it is not tarmacked. We then give huge budgetary allocation to development of infrastructure yet 78.7 per cent have all stalled or collapsed, The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}