BILL WATCH

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES SERIES 1/2013

[26th January 2013]

Parliamentary Committee Meetings Will Resume on Monday 28th January

Most Committees in Closed Planning Meetings this Coming Week

All but one of the Parliamentary committees will be holding closed meetings [i.e. not open to stakeholders nor the public] during the coming week.  The committees meeting in closed session will be formulating or revising work plans for forthcoming meetings.

The only open meeting is on Monday morning. 

Details are as follows:

Public Accounts Committee

Oral evidence from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s annual reports on the Ministry’s accounts for 2009 and 2010

Monday 28th January at 10 am

Committee Room No 4

Chairperson: Hon Chinyadza                           Clerk: Mrs Nyawo

The meeting will be open to members of the public, but as observers only, not as participants, i.e. members of the public can listen but not speak.  It will be at Parliament in Harare.  If attending, please use the entrance on Kwame Nkrumah Ave between 2nd and 3rd Streets and note that IDs must be produced.

This bulletin is based on the latest information from Parliament.  But, as there are sometimes last-minute changes to the schedule, persons wishing to attend should avoid disappointment by checking with the committee clerk that the meeting is still on and open to the public.  Parliament’s telephone numbers are Harare 700181 and 252941.

Lobbying Opportunity on Ministry of Finance Bills – Act Now

According to House of Assembly Standing Order 105, every Bill is referred to the appropriate portfolio committee after it has been published in the Government Gazette.  Thereafter the portfolio committee:

·        must consider the Bill

·        may call for and/or receive evidence from stakeholders and the public on the Bill

·        must at the Second Reading of the Bill in the House of Assembly table the committee’s report on the Bill.  This report, customarily delivered by the portfolio committee’s chairperson, should summarise representations received from members of the public and recommend any changes that the committee believes are necessary.

Current Bills with Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance,

Economic Planning and Investment Promotion

Three important Bills falling within the mandate of the Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Planning have already been gazetted and have still to be considered by the Portfolio Committee.  This will have to be done soon, as they are likely to be actively pursued by the Minister of Finance in the series of Parliamentary sittings starting on Tuesday 5th February.  The Bills [all available from veritas@mango.zw] are:

·        Securities Amendment Bill [introduced last Session, referred to Parliamentary Legal Committee, awaiting restoration to the Order Paper]

·        Microfinance Bill [already introduced and currently under consideration by Parliamentary Legal Committee]

·        Income Tax Bill  [not yet introduced]

The Portfolio Committee will be meeting on Monday 28th January, in the afternoon, to formulate its workplan.  Monday morning would therefore be a good time for financial sector players, legal practitioners, tax practitioners and any other interested parties to contact the committee’s clerk to register interest in making written representations on any of these Bills and/or in appearing before the Portfolio Committee to make representations, both written and oral, in person. 

There is only a limited window of opportunity for representations to be made on these Bills, as the Parliamentary programme is likely to be a very tight one with other business including the adoption and passing of the Constitution.  

How to contact the Portfolio Committee

The Committee Chairperson is Hon Paddy Zhanda.

The Committee Clerks are Mr Chris Ratsakatika and Ms Precious Sigauke.  They can be contacted at Parliament:

Telephone:    Harare 700181 or 252941

Cellphone:     0772 428 946 and 0773 473 233

Email:             ratsakatikac@parlzim.gov.zw or sigaukep@parlzim.gov.zw

Post:               Parliament of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box CY298, Causeway, Harare 

Delivery:         Parliament of Zimbabwe, Kwame Nkrumah Ave between Second and Third Streets, Harare                               

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied