More than one year after it was abandoned by the last session of the National Assembly, the much-expected Ports and Harbour bill has resurfaced at the legislature.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed last week that the bill has already scaled the first reading at the Senate and that, were it not for the current debate on the 2013 budget proposal, it would have been scheduled for second reading.
More than one year after it was abandoned by the last session of the National Assembly, the much-expected Ports and Harbour bill has resurfaced at the legislature.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed last week that the bill has already scaled the first reading at the Senate and that, were it not for the current debate on the 2013 budget proposal, it would have been scheduled for second reading.
However, a member of the marine transport committee at the upper chamber confided in our correspondent that “the Bill will have to go through the whole process again”. But when reminded about the fact that the same bill was given extensive treatment at the lower chamber during the sixth session of the National Assembly, the law maker declared that, irrespective of what had been done, the Bill would have to face the process all over.
“The process of law making is such that, once a bill can not scale through the hurdles before the tenure of that session, it is difficult, I am afraid, the bill will face the process again”, he said, even as he confirmed that there is really not much difference in the bill as presented now.
“It is still a summary of all the issues that were agreed upon by stakeholders, which were captured in the Bill that was presented and which was being given clause-by-clause consideration at the House of Representatives before the brick wall”, he added.
The lawmaker however informed Shipping Position Daily that there is a possibility that the much-talked about independent regulator of the port may be removed from the Port and Harbour bill.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the final draft Bill that the House considered before the end of the last legislative calendar provided for an Independent Port Regulatory Commission as a component.
Similarly, a member of the House told our correspondent that the Executive arm, through the ministry of transport and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) is still holding firm to its believe in the National Transport Commission (NTC).
The NTC is an adaptation from the Transnet in South Africa, where the agency is that country’s transport sector supervisory body; it has a National Port Authourity as well as the Port Regulatory Agency.
But both sources confirmed that, whatever happens, the Port and Harbour Bill will no longer incorporate the Independent Port Regulatory Commission.
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