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{
    "id": 992999,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/992999/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 275,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mwaruma",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13223,
        "legal_name": "Johnes Mwashushe Mwaruma",
        "slug": "johnes-mwashushe-mwaruma"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, we need to look for ways of bringing back our economy on its footpath. Our new normal would be washing hands, putting on masks and social distancing all through. Therefore, we must think of ways and means of bringing this economy back to its footing. We cannot afford the loss of revenue that we are experiencing right now, loss of PAYE, VAT, import duty and so on. I was telling somebody one time that in future, when our children will be looking at us - that is if there is no vaccine or we do not curb this COVID-19 - they will be wondering how we were living without masks. They will be wondering how we were staying close together and dancing in disco halls and clubs. They will be wondering how we were squeezing ourselves in matatus . Madam Temporary Speaker, we must adapt to the new norms so that we can bring our economy to its footing again. Tanzania is managing, though we are told they could be not very straight in the statistics. However, they did not close the mosques, churches and businesses. It is business as usual, and yet we have more cases than them. Maybe in a balance of probability, we need to look at what they are doing against what we are doing so that we can bring our economy back to its footing. The Report is also suggesting that we need to cushion the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). I mentioned before, that there is stimulus program for SMEs proposed by the President of Kenya that is under Stawisha SMEs Mashinani Program. This is the right time to bring the Kshs4.5 billion, inject it into the economy so that the people whose businesses went down can bring up their businesses up again through such credit of low interest rates. It should not have high interest loans. Through the SMEs or KIE, AFC, we can finance our businesses and agricultural activities through loans that can go up to maybe 5 per cent so that we bring our economy back to its pedestal. Madam Temporary Speaker, also we need to look at how our counties are behaving. In Nairobi, there are SMEs like the kinyozi and saloons that are still on. How can we do the same in our counties so that we have the poor people, a small man or lady who survives on maybe plaiting hair of three to four heads per day, so that they can eat and they are brought back to business? The barbers who work in barber shops can be brought back to business while observing the health issues. There is the cross-border business. There are two COVID-19 cases in Taita-Taveta County at the border point of Holili in Taveta. These are two Kenyan truck drivers who currently are admitted at the Taveta Sub-County Hospital."
}