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{
    "id": 909956,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/909956/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 723,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet West, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. William Kisang",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2263,
        "legal_name": "William Kipkemoi Kisang",
        "slug": "william-kipkemoi-kisang"
    },
    "content": "The Committee also seeks to ensure that funding is based on performance, completion levels, absorption capacity, contraband funding among others. We reviewed the performance of 2018/2019 and took care of the absorption rates to ensure that those whose absorption rates were more than 80 per cent got more funding and those whose absorption rates were below 50 per cent had some reductions. Policy recommendations are also critical to ensure that programmes and projects are well executed and emerging challenges such as risk of contractors not being able to deliver on time are curbed. The Committee also noted that the process of tax exemptions relating to given flagship projects by the Government MDA’s is slow and negatively impacting on project timelines. There was an issue where contractors across the Ministries sought exemptions of Custom Duty from the National Treasury, but they say it takes as long as eight or 10 months before getting such exemption, and this delays the projects. Going forward, we would wish that the Treasury comes up with a template to assist the MDAs when they seek exemptions on goods and equipment lying at the Port of Mombasa. Further, policy recommendations are key to ensure obligations between MDA’s are also quantified, budgeted for and paid for. For instance, the Postal Corporation of Kenya is owed Kshs1.2 billion by the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in rent arrears for hosting Huduma Centres across the country. I discussed this issue with the Chair, Hon. Koinange. I suggested that, if possible, his Committee re-allocates Kshs1.2 billion for settlement of the debt owed to the Postal Corporation of Kenya so that that can also undertake their services. Even if we do not do it now, we can do it through the Supplementary Estimates. The Ministry of Interior can re-allocate funds and pays the rent arrears owed to the Postal Corporation of Kenya. This was recommended as a matter of urgency to the BAC to ensure that the Interior Department prioritises payment to the Postal Corporation. It should also ensure that the Corporation is not subjected to such unfair financial burdens that can cripple its financial and operational competitiveness. We also recommend that the Postal Corporation be taken as the national logistics company so that all the departments use it as their logistics company to send parcels across the country. Internationally, other countries are doing the same. This is because Postal Corporation is operating in other areas across the country that are not viable commercially. For instance, both financial and policy recommendations are also informed by maintaining and supporting key strategic intervention such as the Big Four Agenda, affirmative programmes for youth, women and other vulnerable groups as well as funding critical enablers mainly in the infrastructure. In this particular item, we are saying that our youth require support. Through the Public Service Commission (PSC), I have seen that Hon. Koinange has already allocated Kshs1 billion for internship at the constituencies. We need to re-align this with the Ajira Programme so that instead of having two or three duplicated functions, we can merge them into one. For instance, in the ICT subsectors, one such initiative is the Ajira Initiative – which is proposed to be established and managed under a framework where there will also be private sector contributions to support eligible youths across the counties. However, the initial executive proposal allocating Kshs1 billion and approved by the Committee has been reduced to Kshs200 million through the BAC. This is a very good initiative if we allocated a billion shillings. The private sector will give a shilling for a shilling, basically merging the funds. So, we urge that during the Supplementary Estimates that will come in the course of the year, we reinstate the Kshs800 million that has been reduced and merge the money with what Hon. Koinange has proposed so The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}