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{
    "id": 955090,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/955090/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kimilili, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Didmus Barasa",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1885,
        "legal_name": "Didmus Wekesa Barasa Mutua",
        "slug": "didmus-wekesa-barasa-mutua"
    },
    "content": "day, it appears that we have pilferages within KRA. If they collect money from Kenyans and they do not remit it to Government, it will mean that going forward into the future, the Government must also increase the taxation of Kenyans and businesses to be able to fund their programmes. The Government has also become over-ambitious by coming up with very many projects which must be funded. The Government is not living within its means. This means that they come up with ambitious budget proposals and when it comes to looking for money, they are digging deeper into the pockets of Kenyans. I say so because there are very many other ways and means of raising more revenue for the Government. I sit with most of my friends who like drinking beer and smoking cigarettes and they are also looking for a way to stop drinking and smoking. How I wish that the Government can assist them by increasing taxation on beer, Glenfiddich and cigarettes. We all agree that more than 50 per cent of health problems that Kenyans experience or go through are as a result of drinking and smoking, but we are not assisting Kenyans to quit that habit. We have a lot of information that can assist the Government to improve its tax regime by even suggesting more taxation on luxuries. That is because luxuries are not important. There is no Kenyan who will die because he or she is unable to fund some of those luxurious things. But Kenyans will have a problem if the very basic commodities and activities that will assist them to get money and buy food for their families is being curtailed by high taxation. It does not make sense that you are not increasing taxation on beer and cigarettes, but you want to tax those small women groups who engage in outside catering and those young boys, girls and women who engage in online marketing and who sell their small groceries or clothing online. I appeal to the Government that it needs to do more in terms of getting expertise and advice on how it can improve the tax regime. What this country has achieved in the last 15 years is going to be drained by the deletion of the section that caps interest rates. I summarise by saying that you can be a very good evangelist or bishop but, the day you sin, you will lose all the glory of God. This Bill is good but a few sections will make this country lose the focus and all the gains that we have attained in the last 15 years. I look forward to support the amendments to improve this Bill further. I thank you."
}