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{
    "id": 975557,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/975557/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 325,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Emuhaya, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Omboko Milemba",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13328,
        "legal_name": "Jeremiah Omboko Milemba",
        "slug": "jeremiah-omboko-milemba"
    },
    "content": "The second issue is that the Report talks about general growth in the economy and that it has grown about five times faster than the revenue and the revenue collection. This alludes to the fact that we are not collecting revenue. We are evading taxes or we are being given wrong information on the growth of the economy. That is an issue that will require intervention, so that we can know the exact growth rate of our economy. Is it at what we are being told? If so, what is it reflecting to the revenue, so that we can have the revenue coming into circulation to help in the economy? The other issue is the four points that were mentioned by the Seconder of this Motion. He addressed a number of issues that included, among others, the issue of pending bills. I think as we plan the BPS, we should put a particular line within the Budget that will address the issue of pending bills. Like it was alluded to, unless we deal with that, it will be a vicious cycle of going around pending bills year in, year out. Pending bills seem to have been an extra method of borrowing from the public almost illegally. Ordinarily, the Government should borrow externally, but if they come internally, the Government should have borrowed through Treasury Bonds or Treasury Bills. However, pending bills seem to have been an extra method of borrowing from the public, which, unless fixed, will continuously shrink the economy and it will continuously deny liquidity to the public and within the economy. The people who are not paid will not be able to multiply the money. Economics also operate on one factor which we call the multiplier effect. If this money is paid to the people who did the work, they can pay other people and there will be a spiral multiplier effect within the economy and the Government will finally collect money in form of taxes. That is where we have lost it. On pending bills, it seems we have, as a Government, decided to cut the flow of money within the system. This must be addressed specifically within the BPS. The other item which I thought I should speak on is the one that seemed to have been left out and that is the issue of corruption within the budget system. We believe that corruption begins with the budget-making. What is the value that is accredited to every road, construction or project that we are going to undertake within this BPS? What is the value? That value is exaggerated such that more money is put within a particular project which is later taken away. I was talking to one of the economists and he told me that it is not really possible. I want veteran economists to listen to this, including Hon. Kimunya. He doubted whether you have the capacity to consume, for instance, Kshs2 trillion in 12 months the way we project to consume. He doubted that this is not practical. What is happening is that there is a lot of wastage within the system. I think the Chairman of the Committee alluded to wastage when he was talking about where to cut the Budget and where not to. For me, the issue of extra money within the Budget that ends up acting as the corrupt money that is wasted must be addressed in order for the Budget to work and for us to have a proper BPS moving forward. Finally, I want to say that the Big Four Agenda, which was flagged as a main driver of this economy up to where we are, is operating at 3 per cent and at most 20 per cent. Maybe the highest at 30 per cent in terms of completion. Therefore, we must re-plan to see whether we shall continue following them or we shall get another way of how to deal with them. Otherwise, we shall be following a mirage that we may not achieve. With those few remarks, I beg to support. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker."
}