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{
    "id": 988238,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/988238/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 228,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mandera North, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Rtd.) Bashir S. Abdullaih",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13417,
        "legal_name": "Bashir Sheikh Abdullah",
        "slug": "bashir-sheikh-abdullah"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill is crucial. We need to be cognisant of the fact that, as people’s representatives, we care for both the employers and employees. As we go on with this kind of amendment, let us remember that both employers and employees are Kenyans. Let us not have a situation where we force companies to go under because we want money in the pockets of employees. What will happen if those companies go under? Who is going to pay the employees? The Government cannot absorb all those employees. So, we need not have populist ideals like Bills that will ultimately not see the light of the day in terms of implementation. In this House, we have made several regulations and annulled some of them after we have found that they are not in the best interest of employees and employers. However, even when certain things are annulled by this Parliament, the Executive goes round it and implements them. We then ask ourselves: What is our role as people’s representatives? Some of the laws that we want to implement are punitive both to the employers and employees. So, we must ask ourselves: As we want to help the economy, are we hurting ourselves even more? It is the Government, for this matter, the Executive, that is supposed to cushion Kenyans. Before this pandemic, things were working. The Government was collecting taxes. Therefore, it is the Government’s turn to cushion Kenyans, especially employees. We cannot have firms being asked to retain employees and yet they are going under. Let us have a balance between the two. We should save the economy, the employers and the ordinary employees. We should not be going through whatever the Executive wants and rubber stamp it. Let us remind ourselves that we are MPs representing the ordinary Kenyans. We are not part of the Executive. We are part of the Government as the Legislature. Let us avoid just praising whatever we receive from the Treasury or ministries by saying they are good for Kenyans. Sometimes, they are not. We speak for Kenyans. Therefore, let us be wary of some of these amendments that are being proposed. Most of these Bills, from what I have read through, are not good for the country and the people of Kenya. Let us see how best we can cushion Kenyans by looking at the welfare of all of them; whether employees or employers. Thank you. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}