The House of Peoples’ Representatives, in its 2nd Special session of 29th June 2007, ratified an accord, endorsed four draft bills and referred other three draft bills to pertinent tanding committees for further examination and scrutiny with majority votes.

The House first looked in to the joint report and recommendation as well as the findings extracted from discussions with stakeholders and resource professionals submitted by the Budget and Finance Affairs Standing Committee and the Foreign, Defense and Security Affairs Standing Committee on the Proclamation to Ratify the Agreement on Customs Cooperation and Anti-Smuggling and Illicit Trafficking Between the Member States of the SANA’A FORUM, which eventually has been ratified with a majority vote of 268 for, 2 abstentions and no objection as Proclamation No. 540/2007.

Following this, the House deliberated on the joint reports and recommendations and the ideas solicited from committee discussions and different sources to enrich draft bills submitted from the Rural Development Affairs Standing Committee and the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Affairs Standing Committee on two draft bills.

These bills are the Proclamation to Provide for the Wild Animals Development, Protection and Management, and a Proclamation to Provide the Forestry Protection and Management. After dealing with the necessary comments and concerns, the House endorsed the bills with a majority vote of 265 for, 2 abstentions and no objection and 260 for, 3 objections and 5 abstentions as Proclamation No. 541/2007 and 542/2007 respectively.

The House has also conducted a thorough discussion on the Revised Export Trade Duty Incentive Scheme Establishment Bill tabled to be endorsed in the first reading. The Chief Government Whip, honorable Sheferaw Jarso, presented the report and recommendation with explanations as well as rationales in relation to the need for the state of urgency and the benefits of investors engaged in the sector. This again has been endorsed as Proclamation No. 543/2007 with a majority vote of 193 for, 10 objections and 31 abstentions.

Meanwhile, the House has referred two draft bills, with majority votes, to the Trade and Industry Affairs and the Rural Development Affairs Standing Committees after entertaining comments, concerns and questions to be taken in to account by the respective committees during discussions and hearings. The draft bills are the bill to provide for the Establishment of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange and the bill to Provide for the Establishment of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Authority.

In the same manner, the House has concluded its special session by referring the draft Proclamation to Provide for the Establishment of the Drug Fund and the Pharmaceutical Supply Agency to the Social Affairs Standing Committee with majority votes for further scrutiny prior to the adoption.