Public Order Management Bill, laws on oil sector and interest rates are among the issues top on the agenda as Parliament resumes on Tuesday.
On Monday, the business committee of parliament chaired by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga was busy formulating the agenda for the parliament.
According to Daudi Migereko, the Acting Government Chief Whip, much of the business will be from the last parliament. The 9th parliament was able to save some of the bills from the previous parliament, including the Anti-homosexuality bill, the marriage and divorce bill, and the HIV/Aids control bill among others.
Lack of government business has partially hampered the work of the 9th Parliament since its commencement in May last year. Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of parliament has already sent parliament on recess three times in a space of six months in 2011 because of lack of business.
The 9th Parliament has only been able to debate the State of the Nation address and the UGX 10 trillion budget for the 2011/2012 financial year since its term of office began. The August house later debated the oil bribery allegations implicating three cabinet ministers in receiving bribes from oil companies.
But now Migereko says that government has reprinted some of the saved bills and work should begin on Tuesday. He says that about 17 bills have been reprinted and will be tabled in parliament.
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Inflation and interest rates will also form debate in parliament. Traders last year went on strike and petitioned parliament to address the increasing interest rates on existing loans. Inflation has since come down to 25.7% from 30.5% at the time of the strike. Bank of Uganda has also eased the Central Bank Rate to 22% from 23%, pushing banks to lower their borrowing interest rates.
Public order management bill is yet another controversial bill that will be tackled in this session of parliament. The bill that was tabled in October 2011 is intended to regulate public meetings, the duties and responsibilities of police, the organizers and participants in relation to public meetings.
Laws governing the oil sector will also be tabled in this session of parliament. While signing fresh oil agreements with Tullow, the Minister of Energy, Irene Muloni noted that cabinet is finalizing a number of bills in the oil sector before they are tabled in parliament for scrutiny.
But Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the opposition leader in Parliament is skeptical about government bringing business in parliament. He says it has failed to bring business several times.
