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{
    "id": 954802,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/954802/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 494,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Onyango Oyoo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2408,
        "legal_name": "James Onyango Oyoo",
        "slug": "james-onyango-oyoo"
    },
    "content": "My constituency is the father to the sugar industry and many of them are collapsing under the weight of economic hopelessness. They pay taxes and the Government does not invest in them. When we ask for more money, we are told the industries are already overburdened with debts they owe to the Government, but on close assessment, we find that most of these debts are loans which were advanced to the sugar industry from the Sugar Development Levy. This is money that each time a farmer delivers his cane, he contributes and it is aimed at helping him one time to redo his farm or help the industry to do minor maintenance or enhancement. Farmers owe money, but in the Government estimations, that has been lumped up as loans. So, when you hear the sugar industry owes the Government about Kshs37 billion, it is over estimated taxes or money that should have been used to advance loans. The orgy of the whole thing is that we have companies like Muhoroni Sugar Company and Chemilil Sugar Company contributing so much money to the net tax yet in the end, these people have products they cannot ferry or haul out of their farms because of lack of roads. When we ask for the roads money, we are told the budget is not there and there is no money. Yet we are an island because we have Jubilee infested constituencies, which are very good neighbours of ours and we see them being connected to electricity and Muhoroni is not. We are told to wait because there is no budgetary provision. You also find roads being launched and we are told there is no money. We think we support the Government to raise funds through proper taxation and once they receive it, they should distribute it equitably. Areas where the Jubilee Government was not voted for should receive their consideration. In politics, one day can be a very long time. Nobody would think we would now be talking as if we are in the Government. My brother, Hon. Duale, knows very well that in this Parliament, there are many Members, but apart from him and me, there are very few people His Excellency the President can refer to by name. The rest he calls them nani, wewe, so and so. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, with those few remarks, I support this Bill. It is timely."
}