Africa-Press – Kenya. President William Ruto has said he will harness revenue locally to drive his agenda and not take the country to the cliff through more borrowing. https://rb.gy/g7odo President William Ruto has said he will harness revenue locally to drive his agenda and not take the country to the cliff through more borrowing.
Putting a pitch for his revenue-generating measures spelt out in the Finance Bill, 2023, the President said he will not be pushed to borrow to meet government expenditure.
“I have said that I will not go to borrow, that one I will not do,” Ruto said in Kirinyaga on Tuesday. The President insisted that he was elected on the platform of spurring development and changing the fortunes of Kenyans without more debts.
Ruto said his 2023/24 budget seeks to create jobs for the millions of Kenyans who are jobless through interventions aimed at harnessing employment opportunities.
“We have borrowed from Sh4 trillion to 9 trillion, we are at a point where the country can slide, I will not be the president who will take this country to the cliff because of borrowing,” he said.
The President said the government will seek to create jobs through industrial parks, special economic zones and digital platforms. “All those plans are in that budget,” he said asking how he will do that if there is no revenue.
Ruto said only a few Kenyans below 4 million are employed with the majority wallowing in poverty without hope. “Those of us who are employed instead of paying 3 per cent or 1.5 per cent they are asking how that concerns them, let us stop the hypocrisy,” he said.
The President challenged MPs and elected leaders to be patriotic enough and fight for the welfare of the electorate instead of blocking their progress.
“If someone has helped you get a job by waking up early to vote for you, also help them get jobs for their children,” he said.
“Those employed today are paid through taxes of those not employed, they must sacrifice to create opportunities for those not employed.” The President regretted that an MP, whom he said represents a slum area, was blindly opposing the bill which seeks to upgrade slums.
“The people who voted for you live in informal settlements and today you are opposing a bill that will give them decent housing, let us stop hypocrisy,” he said.
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