House Refers Two Bills to Committees

The House of Peoples’ Representatives, in its 5th regular session held on 25th of October 2007, has referred two bills to pertinent standing committees.

The bills which the House discussed and referred to the Committees in the noted regular session are the Bill to Ratify the Protocol on Technical, Scientific and Economic Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture Between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the Republic of Turkey, and the Bill to Provide for Urban Plans.

It was after a thorough discussion that the House referred the first bill mainly to the Rural Development Affairs Standing Committee to be jointly securitized with the Foreign, Defense and Security Affairs Standing Committee.

According to the preamble, the noted protocol has become necessary to strengthen and expand the existing long-standing relations so as to establish cooperation in the fields of agriculture, food industry, animal husbandry and rural affairs between the two nations.

In another development, the bill to provide for Urban Plans was directed mainly to the Infrastructure Affairs Standing Committee to be securitized jointly with the Legal and Administrative Affairs Standing Committee.

The objective of the Bill for Urban Plans focuses on establishing a legal framework to promote planned and well developed urban centers, to regulate and facilitate development activities in urban centers and thereby enhance economic development of the country.

Meanwhile, the House has also adopted minutes of the 3rd special session of the 2nd year tenure with majority vote of 340 for, 6 abstentions and with no objection.