Sunjeev Kour Birdi

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 141 to 150 of 502.

• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I would like to thank Hon. Neto for bringing this Bill. Let me say that prior to my joining the field of politics, I was very much present and vibrant in philanthropy. One of the questions that came into my mind many times was, why is poverty a “hole”? In my opinion, the term “poverty” is where people or organisations will keep on putting money. So, it was very beautiful to see that whenever one kept on giving to the society, things used to get lost. ... view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: We have to recognise that PBOs, like NGOs, play a very important role in supporting the economy and legislation is important. It is important to note the depth within which these NGOs conduct their business because some of them run programmes abroad. They send misbehaving children from abroad to countries like Kenya. They come here and learn the lifestyles of poor people so that they can give back to society. They learn something and go back. There is a vital role that NGOs play and this Bill is for their benefit. I applaud it once again. The role that the ... view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: With those many remarks, I support the Public Benefits Organisations (Amendment) Bill. view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this chance to contribute to one of the most significant Bills that this Parliament will have passed. I would like to start by saying that I am a Member of APNEC Kenya. It is a parliamentary committee that is spearheading parliamentarians who are against corruption. view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: This Bill is long overdue. A point to be noted is that this Bill is seriously being supported by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance which heads the private sector. So, it is important to note that there is goodwill both from the Government and from the private sector. That is the good side. What we have to note is that we have had to go an extra mile to curb corruption, especially in the private sector. It is deemed that if somebody wants to get something done, he has to “warm somebody’s pockets”. So, fingers are pointed at the people ... view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: When we talk about the private sector, we also include multi-national companies. We want to ascertain that people in the top-most leadership of those multi-nationals or the private sector are held liable. We are trying to say that the king is equally liable as the servant. This is a very important thing. You cannot just expect the king to give orders and the servant not to listen. Everybody is going to sing the same song. While everybody is singing the same song, we expect equal responsibility as far as giving or taking a bribe is concerned. That is why I ... view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: Clause 10(2) of the Bill says that it shall be mandatory for a private entity to prove that it has put in place adequate procedures designed to prevent bribery. There is a very thin line between bribery and stealing. That is why you find that these two terms have been used so often this afternoon in Parliament but, you will find that the stark difference is that when a person is called corrupt, the person will have a smile on his face. He will not feel so bad but when he is called a thief, he will feel that something ... view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: This Bill is long overdue. I would like to complete by giving a historical quote: “It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bear the acts of Government to their own selfish purposes”. It is very sad to say that it is only the rich who are corrupt. It is unfortunate that it has always been deemed that way. I hope and pray that this Bill brings to light the perpetrators involved in skinning our country and doing terrible things that have been going on so far. view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: 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. view
• 10 Aug 2016 in National Assembly: With those many remarks, let me say that when this Bill first came into being, I was one of the most excited people because I thought it was high time that these issues were addressed. I feel that if taking a bribe is a crime, giving a bribe is equally sinful and a crime. view