The cabinet
approved a draft of ‘Bangladesh Ship Recycling Act, 2015′ with some provisions
that include imposition of Tk 3.0 million fine if anyone imports ships for
recycling purposes without government permission and establishes shipyard
beyond the designated zones, officials said.
“The cabinet
has approved the draft ‘Bangladesh Ship Recycling Act, 2015′ to safeguard
environment and health issues of the labourers in the ship-breaking industry,”
cabinet secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told journalists after the
weekly cabinet meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat.
He said if
anyone imports ship for recycling purposes without government permission or
build shipyard beyond the designated zone, he/ she will be fined between Tk 1.0
million and Tk 3.0 million or one-year jail or both.
He said the
draft law also proposed formation of a regulatory authority to be called
‘Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board’ aiming to limit the fast-growing industry to
a designated area considering environmental hazards. Besides, it will regulate
the sector’s activities.
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting at the Cabinet Division of the
Secretariat.
The cabinet
secretary said to protect the environment, the draft law suggests to establish
shipyard zone in separate places (designated zones).
None will be
allowed to build shipyard outside the places earmarked by the authority. If
anyone builds shipyard outside the designated zone then he/she will have to pay
between Tk 1.0 million and Tk 3.0 million fine or face one-year imprisonment or
both, the draft law suggested.
If anyone
involved in the sector gives false statement to the government for getting no
objection certificate (NOC), then he/she will have to pay fine between Tk 0.5
million and Tk 2.0 million or six months jail or both.
Mr Bhuiyan
said there were rules for the industry following the High Court observation in
2011.
Previously,
it was called ship-breaking but now it will be termed ship-recycling, a sector
that enormously plays a vital role in supplying raw materials to steel mills.
The proposed law will ensure coastal areas’ environment and waste management.
The Ministry
of Industries (MoI) placed the draft law to the council of ministers. The ship-
breaking matter was dealt with separately by the ministries of environment,
commerce and industries.
The cabinet
secretary said the draft law proposed formation of a board to monitor the
overall activities of the sector. An additional secretary of the Ministry of
Industries will be chairman of the board. Besides, there will be members and
experts from different ministries and departments concerned.
Mr Bhuiyan
said the approved draft law will now be sent to the Ministry of Law for
vetting. After that, it will come again to the cabinet for final approval. And
then it will go to the parliament for passage.
The proposed
draft, once coming into effect after completing all necessary formalities, will
guide all ministries concerned to work concertedly on ship-recycling issue.
The
ship-breaking industry, a flourishing and promising sector in the country,
plays a significant role in alleviating poverty and contributing to growth of
the national economy. The sector is mainly concentrated at Sitakundu in
Chittagong helping many people earn their livelihood.
A strong
workforce numbering between 2,00,000 to 2,50,000 is now directly and one to two
million people are indirectly involved in the sector. The government gets
revenue between Tk 6.0 billion and Tk 7.0 billion annually, according the
insiders of the sector.
The council
of ministers also approved the draft “Petroleum Act, 2015″.
It will now
go the Ministry of Law for vetting to regulate import, storage and
transportation of petroleum more efficiently through making the existing law a
time-befitting one.
Mr Bhuiyan
said the energy and mineral resources division placed the draft Act in Bangla
in line with the earlier cabinet decision after necessary review and updating
the Petroleum Act, 1934 and the Petroleum Amendment Ordinance, 1986.
He said the
proposed law kept a provision of raising punishment for violating the rules
under the law, including petroleum production, refining, mixing, recycling or
reusing.
The cabinet
secretary said in case of denial in providing information by the authorities
concerned about any accident under the Section 24 (1. Cha) of the draft law,
punishment has been raised to six months’ jail or Tk 10,000 fine or both.
He said the
authorised officers will also be able to conduct search or seize dubious things
during petroleum production, distribution and transportation.
“The draft
law also categorised petroleum in three classes — class one, class two and
class three — considering their heating value,” he said.
He said a
provision has been made under the rules of the proposed law to regulate the
issues relating to petroleum import, storage and movement.
He said
rules would also have to be followed under the law on petroleum production,
mixing, refining, recycling and reuse.
“Caution
sign or note will have to be displayed on petroleum containers, while the
authorised officers have been empowered to collect petroleum specimen and issue
monitoring certificates,” Mr Bhuiyan said.
The council
of ministers also reviewed the implementation progress of its decisions for the
2nd quarter (April-June) period of 2015. The rate of success was 64.71 per cent
compared to 55.93 per cent of the corresponding period of the previous year.
From April
01 to June 30, 2015 there were 13 cabinet meetings that took 68 decisions. Of
these, 44 were implemented while 24 are now being implemented. It also approved
two action plans/ strategies and nine memoranda of understanding and enacted
three laws in the parliament.
It was also
apprised about the finance minister’s participation in the international
conference for earthquake rehabilitation efforts in Nepal in Kathmandu on June
25 last, participation of Bangladesh delegations to UN ESCAP May 25-29 last in
Bangkok, Thailand and 104th International Labour Conference in Geneva,
Switzerland and Fourth Vienna Energy Forum (VEF) 2015 in Vienna, Switzerland.
Source:
Financial Express
Source: Hellenic shipping news. 29 July 2015
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