KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Justice Minister Mark Golding has called for greater efficiency in the administration of laws in order to eliminate the need to bring legislation to Parliament to correct technical errors.
Golding was speaking in the Senate Friday (June 26) as he piloted the Conch (Export Levy) (Validation and Indemnity) Act. The legislation, which was passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (July 23), seeks to confirm as lawful, the acts done in good faith by officers of the Veterinary Services Division in the collection of levies from conch exporters in relation to the 2011 conch season.Golding said that the bringing of Bills to validate the acts done in good faith is happening “too often.”“It would be best if we could be so efficient in our administration of legislation and of delegated powers that we do things meticulously and ensure that we have followed every bureaucratic and legislative requirement at the time it is required to be followed and we don’t have to bring legislation afterwards to correct some technical error that has been made, which is what this validation Bill is really about,” he said.For his part, Leader of Opposition Business, Senator Arthur Williams, recommended that the Permanent Secretaries Board conduct a review of the kinds of matters that the Parliament has had to validate because of “administrative slip-ups” so as to improve the system.The Conch (Export Levy) Act of 2009 provides for the mandatory payment of conch levies by exporters of conch to the Veterinary Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.The Principal Act requires that for any subsequent conch season, the rate ought to be prescribed from time to time by the Minister, by Order, subject to affirmative resolution of the House of Representatives.There was no levy prescribed for conch exported during 2011 season, which spanned the periods March 1 to March 23; and April 4 to July 30.However, the officers of the Veterinary Services Division, acting in good faith, continued to collect in the 2011conch season, a levy at the rate imposed for the 2010 conch season.As result, it became necessary to validate and confirm as lawful, the acts of the officers in collecting the levy, which was US$1 per pound of conch exported.The Bill was passed with no amendment.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserverView the original article here
Justice Minister calls for greater efficiency in administration of laws
