Unproductive winter parly ends
Oarabile Mosikare | Tuesday August 11, 2015 14:52
Amongst the passed bills were the Insurance Industry Bill 2014 and Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Bill 2015. According to Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo, the object of the bill was to re-enact the Insurance Industry Act with amendments such as increasing penalties.
The bill’s other objective is to provide for all the detailed processes and duties relating to the insurance industry ‘under one act’.
This will be done by importing all provisions relating to the insurance industry from the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority Act.
The bill also provides for the licensing provisions of insurers, insurance brokers and insurance agents. Part two of the bill deals with the licensing provisions for insurers, whilst part three and four deal with the manner of carrying on insurance business, and the financial soundness of such businesses, respectively.
The Minister of Agriculture, Patrick Ralotsia presented the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Bill 2015.
The object of this bill was to provide for the continuation of the Botswana College of Agriculture, which was established under Section 2 of the Botswana College of Agriculture Act under the name ‘Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources’.
“The continuation of the college includes the disassociation of the college from the University of Botswana to make it independent from the said University of Botswana,” said Ralotsia.
Part two of the bill establishes the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and provides for its objectives and functions.
The part further provides for the powers of the university. The Minister of Justice, Defence and Security, Shaw Kgathi also moved the Private Security Services Bill 2015 (Bill No. 9 of 2015) be read for the second time.
Kgathi told Parliament that private security companies have requested for the development of standards in the provision of security services and training of the guards.
Moving the Private Security Services Bill 2015 (Bill No. 9 of 2015) to be read for the second time, Kgathi said his ministry addressed three Pitso meetings with private security companies between 2012 and 2013.
“The general concern of the companies was that the Control of Security Guards Services Act has been overtaken by events,” said Kgathi.
He said they highlighted that the act only provided for security guards, while the industry has developed to include other private security services such as alarm and alarm response units, dog sections, closed-circuit television (CCTV), cash-in transit and others. He said these concerns have been addressed in the proposed Private Security Services Bill 2015.
Other bills that were presented, gazetted and noticed were: Special Economic Zones 2015, Whistle Blowing Bill 2015, Trade Disputes Bill and Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2015.