Parliament Invites Public Comment on Five Bills
Parliament has invited written submissions on each of the Bills listed below.
Submissions should be received by Parliament on or before the date specified in the list as the deadline.
All the Bills have been gazetted and are available for downloading from the Veritas website at the links provided.
Forest Amendment Bill [link]
Deadline: Friday 7th February 2019
Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill [link]
Deadline: Friday 7th February 2019
Constitutional Court Bill [link]
Deadline: Friday 7th February 2019
Financial Adjustments Bill [link]
Deadline: Friday 7th February 2019
National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill [link]
Deadline: Friday 27th March 2019.
The invitations to submit comments and suggestions for improving these Bills are in compliance with Parliament’s duty under section 141 of the Constitution to facilitate public involvement in the work of Parliament and its committees and to ensure that interested and affected parties are consulted about Bills to be considered by Parliament.
These invitations are a useful early opportunity for interested persons and organisations and members of the general public with views on the Bills to express their written views on them to MPs on the various Parliamentary committees in advance of the targeted public and stakeholders consultations that will follow [see below].
The earlier members of these committees get to know the implications of the Bills and any possible problems posed by stakeholders and members of the public, the more likely it is that the targeted consultations to come will be productive and the more likely it is that the committees will be able to do something to improve the end products emerging from Parliament.
The task of each committee is to consider both the written submissions now invited and the contributions made during the coming consultations, and to present a report on the Bill concerned when it comes before the National Assembly at the Second Reading stage, when the Bill is considered in principle. The reports will analyse submissions and contributions received by the committee and contain its recommendations for changes to the Bill concerned for consideration by all MPs when debating and voting on the Bill.
How To Submit Comments
Each submission should be limited to one Bill only.
Comments must be submitted to:
- the following e-mail addresses: bills@parlzim.gov.zw or clerk@parlzim.gov.zw or
- delivered to Parliament of Zimbabwe, Corner Third Street and Kwame Nkrumah Ave, P.O. Box CY 298, Causeway, Harare.
All submissions must be received by the relevant deadline [see deadline dates in the list at the beginning of this bulletin].
Public and Stakeholder Consultations
Targeted public and stakeholder consultations on these Bills will be conducted in due course on dates to be advised.
Clarifications
For requests for clarification, contact Mrs Luciah Nyawo, Assistant Clerk of Parliament, on email nyawol@parlzim.gov.zw .
Additional Documents Available from Veritas
In addition to soft copies of the Bills, the Veritas website has other documents available for downloading on the Financial Adjustments Bill, as follows:
Financial Adjustments Bill [link]
Bill Watch 66/2019 – The Financial Adjustments Bill [link] [Veritas’ analysis and criticism of this Bill]
Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee Report on Compliance Issues for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development July 2019) [link]
Extracts from the above report focussing on specific examples of unauthorised expenditure requiring condonation by the Bill [link]
Breakdown of Unauthorised Expenditure to be Condoned by the Bill [link]
Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.
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