Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) Hon. Daryl Vaz recently presented the Bill entitled, An Act to Amend the Special Economic Zones Act, to the House of Representatives for its consideration.
Minister Vaz told the House that steps have been taken to have an integrated framework in place for the Special Economic Zones regime, for which the Special Economic Zones Act was passed in January 2016 and made effective in August 2016, and the Special Economic Zones Regulations, more recently Gazetted in September, 2017.
Minister Vaz was making his contribution to the Parliamentary Debate on July 6, 2020.
He recalled that when the Act was first passed ‘Minister’ was defined at section 2 as the Minister with portfolio responsibility for Industry and the Act went into effect with the same portfolio designation.
“On this Administration taking over, the regime was placed under the portfolio of the Minister with responsibility for Special Economic Zones, which is the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation,” he explained.
He further explained that for continuity and technical accuracy, in December 2017 section 2 was amended by deleting the definition of ‘Minister’.
“Consequent on this deletion the references to the word ‘Minister’ as used throughout the Act, are now interpreted as an operation of law based on the Interpretation Act,” he said.
He told the Honourable House that it is on the basis of ensuring continuity and technical accuracy throughout the Act that “we now take the Bill to amend Part II of the Third Schedule of the Act by deleting paragraph 1(1)(b) to reflect the change in portfolio responsibility from the Minister with responsibility for Industry to the Minister responsible for Economic Growth and Job Creation.”
He noted that the paragraph currently provides that:
(1) The Board shall consist of – (b) “A senior public officer in the Ministry responsible for industry, nominated by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry responsible for industry, who shall be the members ex officio:”
The amendment tabled now reads:
“(b) a senior public officer in the Ministry responsible for Special Economic Zones, nominated by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry responsible for Special Economic Zones, who shall be a member ex officio;”.
Special Economic Zones are geographically demarcated areas within countries for investment attraction of value-added production and services which benefit from fiscal incentives.