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{
"id": 921943,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/921943/?format=api",
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
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"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
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"content": "economic growth. It is no wonder many people are suggest that these counties should fall because they are not collecting any revenue. It is time to use technology wisely. I will be happy if Sen. (Dr.) Zani adds another amendment to this Public Finance Management Act in terms of the rewards that looks at the use of technology more broadly, to identify all revenue streams. If you go to Narok County, you might find that we have about 10,000 plots, which is one revenue stream. However, if you compare the amount of money collected from plot rents, it is not commensurate to the amount of the plots that we have. Narok County produces almost 70 per cent of all the wheat that is consumed in this country. However, the amount of cess, which is taxes charged on vehicles that transport wheat, is not equal to the amount of wheat that we contribute. Therefore, this Bill will not only help ensure transparency, but also help counties become innovative on how they can identify all their revenue streams. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, these amendments that are introduced by Sen. (Dr.) Zani will also help the national Government to become more realistic. It will help in our fight to have more money sent to county governments. If we have one central location that shows the amount of money which is generated locally, it will ease the work of the Auditor-General in terms of looking at all these. It will end this constant excuse given by county governments that the Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS) was down. There is no way it will be down because we will know that Nairobi City County, for example, collected a billion shillings from parking services. So, there is no way counties will tell us that the system was down. I agree with the previous speaker, my colleague, Sen. Farhiya, that we may need to consider how to encourage young companies that are into the revenue collection system to fit in. Sen. (Dr.) Zani should propose an amendment to Section 160A, which will give companies that have invested heavily in a revenue collection system an avenue to consult. If the capacity of a particular county is still below average, yet there is a company that is doing business there, and has a good revenue system, we should include other revenue collection companies that can offer the same services. The KRA collects revenue for all businesses in Kenya, be it Government entities or private bodies. When you pay Value Added Tax (VAT), they still retain a certain amount of about 6 per cent. I am not sure how we will address the issue of the taxes which are paid to the national Government. This is because in the Finance Act there was an amendment that requires each county government to charge an extra 15 per cent on the licences and fees that becomes money that is owed to the KRA. So, we may want to look at that and say whether this amendment will help KRA to increase its collection. If each county is in the automated system, once they charge the 15 per cent--- For instance, if a licence fee is about Kshs6,000 the law, as it is right now, requires each and every county to charge an additional 15 per cent, which is money that will be submitted to the national Government. So, we may want to find a way which might help or also deter many counties from utilizing this system because the national Government will be able tell how much they collect from their licence fees. 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."
}