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{
    "id": 955086,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/955086/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 270,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nominated, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David ole Sankok",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13168,
        "legal_name": "Gideon Keter",
        "slug": "gideon-keter"
    },
    "content": "From sand harvesting and building stone quarries in this country, only less than 5 per cent of tax collection is declared as revenue. That is why I will support a Motion or Bill that is brought to this House allowing KRA to collect all taxes; including cess from the sale of livestock, mama mbogas and other taxes. We should have tax collection done from a central place and distributed equally to all counties. That is because wananchi pay many taxes which go to the pockets of a few individuals who sometimes invest outside this country. Even when they invest in our country, they do not employ our youth or pay taxes and, therefore, other countries benefit. A thief will always be fearful. That is why when they collect taxes using their own receipts, they escape from this country and do not invest here. They know that they are thieves. A thief is shy and a coward. Those cowards are investing in other countries so that they can hide their looted finances. So, as we increase taxes in some areas, let us also tighten tax collection and use of those funds. Therefore, if a Bill on KRA collecting all taxes is bought here, we will support it as a House. There are receipts that are issued in our livestock markets which are similar to those of county governments that are made in River Road. The money that is collected using those receipts is taken to specific accounts and invested outside the country. That is why I support the currency change and declaration of the old Kshs1,000 notes illegal. When they collect taxes using fake receipts, they are afraid they will be followed to the banks. So, they keep the money in their bedrooms waiting to change it into dollars and invest outside the country. Therefore, we need to tighten collection of taxes. I am pleased with this Bill especially on reduction of import duty on timber products. This is because we banned logging and yet one of the Big Four Agenda items is housing. We are still building in this country and require timber for furniture and roofing. We banned logging without caring about the timber industry, which supports thousands of our youth. So, when we zero-rate importation of timber, we kill two birds with one stone. This will allow our very important construction industry to go on. Also, we will save our forests as we destroy the forests of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We will have our 10 per cent forest coverage and benefit from enough rain and food. We will even realise two of the Big Four Agenda items by reducing import duty on timber products. The reduction of taxes on hides and skins will jump-start the pastoralists’ economy which, for a long time, has been marginalised. This is simply because it was declared low potential via Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965 which decided to increase taxes on high potential pastoralists’ areas. Therefore, 80 per cent of the land mass in Kenya was not considered high potential. That is why we did not think of value addition to our livestock products like meat, hides and skins and bones. We know bones are rich in calcium and are an important source of nutrients in the manufacture of fertilisers. All this was not realised because 80 per cent of the land mass in Kenya was marginalised by the infamous Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965. The lawyers-client privilege is the only bit I will oppose because privacy is very important. We also have confidential information kept by doctors. It will not be in good taste to allow our privacy to be infringed upon on pretence that we are fighting corruption. The moment 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."
}