WESTERN AND Choiseul Provinces have yesterday thoroughly gone through, detail by detail, the draft Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill with a number of recommendations sought.
SEZ Task Force Crown Council in the Attorney Generals Chamber, John Muria Junior, Secretary to SEZ Task Force Committee and Director of Industries, Riley Mesepitu, John Lagi from the Customs Exercise Division and Bellamy Mane from the Ministry of Finance – Economic Reform Unit (ERU) delivered the piece of the draft legislation with Western and Choiseul Provincial government representatives and stakeholders in Gizo Western Province yesterday.
Secretary to SEZ Task Force Committee and Director of Industries, Riley Mesepitu told Island Sun Gizo that comments raised during yesterday’s deliberations on sections of the bill were encouraging.
“One of the areas they mainly touched on is on the composition of body or authority that will manage these special economic zones.
“On the outset, they did not want any political influence on that body. That authority, committee or governance body must be free of political influence.
“This is to avoid discretion of power which may otherwise prompt investors to influence those of authority that may perhaps lead to corruption.
“Decisions or directions which are supposed to be taken must be consensus, or must be inclusive,” Secretary to SEZ Task Force Committee, Mr Mesepitu said.
Some of the suggestions and comments put to the task force also touched on areas of criterions and licensing requirement of investors, and security aspects in the SEZ areas.
The Task Forces have taken into consideration all the suggestions and comments which may help on further adjustment of the SEZ Bill, which is the DCC Government’s flagship legislative programme.
SEZ refers to designated areas in countries that possess special economic regulations that are different from other areas in the same country and conducive to foreign direct investment.
The SEZ Bill sets the policy declaration which includes promoting the country as an investment destination, encouraging foreign direct investment and domestic private sector investment and adopting measures that help make them competitive.
The paper understands that the DCC Government has engaged three SEZ technical experts from Philippines to assist the government taskforce on SEZs to finalise the SEZ bill in preparation for its tabling at the next parliament sitting for this year in July.
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