The House of Peoples’ Representatives in its 17th regular session held on 11 March 2008 has endorsed a draft proclamation and directed three bills to the pertinent committees for further scrutiny after it had conducted a thorough deliberation.

After the discussion had been conducted on the decision proposal presented by the Social Affairs Standing Committee of the House with regard to the bill to ratify the Rights of Persons with Disability to Employment, the House endorsed unanimously with no objection and abstention.

Meanwhile, the House has directed a proclamation to ratify the Agreement on Tourism Cooperation with the Republic of Turkey and Ethiopia to the Information and culture Affairs Standing Committee of the House for further security.

According to the preamble of the bill, the agreement is desirous in developing and strengthening the cooperation between Ethiopia and Turkey in the field of tourism thereby would increase the development of their national economies and promote mutual understanding, good will and close relations between their people.

Meantime, the House has directed a proclamation to ratify the Agreement on Cooperation, in Culture and Tourism between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Ethiopia to the Information and Culture Affairs Standing committee for further scrutiny.

The cooperation agreement signed between Ethiopia and Nigeria is desirous to strengthen the cordial relations prevailing between the two countries and expand mutual knowledge and understating of their respective culture and tourism.

Similarly, the House has referred a proclamation to ratify Excise Tax Amendment Proclamation to the Budget and Finance Affairs Standing committee of the House for further examination.

The amendment of the proclamation of the excise tax has become necessary to calculate the costs of excise tax levied on imported products based on cost, insurance, freight (ICF) along with customs duty by virtue of the preamble of the bill.

The bill signed aimed at avoiding double excise taxation payable on domestic products so as to create suitable condition and make investment attractive, the preamble stated.

In order to decrease the high amount of excise tax levied on products that couldn’t attract additional investment and increase the amount of the cost of excise tax levied on products previously in small amount, the amendment of the excise tax is essential as indicated in the preamble of the bill.