Govt goes slow on Regulatory Reforms Commission reports
Saturday, 16 August 2008
A few recommendations put by the Regulatory Reforms Commission (RRC) saw light after nearly a year of its inception, reports UNB.
The commission now thinks its tenure should be extended for accelerating the process of implementation of its recommendations meant to reform various government rules and institutions.
The interim government had formed the 17-member Commission on October 30, 2007 to change obsolete administrative rules and regulations with a specific target for removing obstacles to promoting investment, commerce and trade.
Since its first meeting on November 19, 2007, the RRC formulated 11 interim reports and sent them for approval and implementation to respective ministries.
But the pace of their implementation has been very slow due to legal complexities, sources involved with the process said.
The Commission's tenure will expire in October after which it will be difficult to implement the recommendations, insiders in the RRC said.
Sources said recommendations of only two reports have been implemented so far.
In its first report, the RRC had recommended for launching a website for publication of all government gazettes by February 21, 2008 and preserving all rules, regulations and all government orders on the proposed website.
In line with the RRC report, the government gazettes are now being published on the website and efforts have also been made for preservation of the rules and regulations.
In line with RRC's other recommendations for enacting a law that no gazette will be effective until it is published on website, a committee of the establishment ministry has formulated a draft, which is yet to be approved.
According to the second interim report that was also made following the first meeting's recommendations, the government was asked to make arrangements so that before finalisation of any rule and regulation, the drafts are made public.
As per the second interim report, the Council of Advisers has made a draft regarding pre-publication of rules and regulations and referred it to the Chief Adviser on April 24, 2008. But no development took place after that, RRC sources said.
The RRC in its third interim report asked the government for introducing online registration system in the Board of Investment (BoI).
In its 20th meeting, the BoI had formed a committee on June 8 this year and asked it to submit its report by four weeks. The report of the committee was presented in the 21st meeting of the BoI on August 9.
The other major recommendations of the RRC included processing and approval of foreign private loans, formulating necessary rules and regulations for recognising private courier services, amendment to the land registration law, reforming location clearance certificate and environmental clearance certificate rules, reforming duty drawback and exemption system, capital machinery import clearance system.
About the reform of the land registration law, the law ministry has already said that it is unable to take any initiative, as a case related to the land law is under trial.
Besides, the government has issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) implementing the RRC recommendations for reforming Location Clearance Certificate and Environmental Clearance Certificate Rules.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RRC Apurba Kumar Biswas said the tenure of the Commission should be extended if the recommendations were to be implemented and monitored.
More recommendations were to be made in many other sectors, he said, adding if the RRC did not exist after the caretaker regime, the political government might find it difficult to implement the recommendations or they might simply discontinue the current move.
The commission now thinks its tenure should be extended for accelerating the process of implementation of its recommendations meant to reform various government rules and institutions.
The interim government had formed the 17-member Commission on October 30, 2007 to change obsolete administrative rules and regulations with a specific target for removing obstacles to promoting investment, commerce and trade.
Since its first meeting on November 19, 2007, the RRC formulated 11 interim reports and sent them for approval and implementation to respective ministries.
But the pace of their implementation has been very slow due to legal complexities, sources involved with the process said.
The Commission's tenure will expire in October after which it will be difficult to implement the recommendations, insiders in the RRC said.
Sources said recommendations of only two reports have been implemented so far.
In its first report, the RRC had recommended for launching a website for publication of all government gazettes by February 21, 2008 and preserving all rules, regulations and all government orders on the proposed website.
In line with the RRC report, the government gazettes are now being published on the website and efforts have also been made for preservation of the rules and regulations.
In line with RRC's other recommendations for enacting a law that no gazette will be effective until it is published on website, a committee of the establishment ministry has formulated a draft, which is yet to be approved.
According to the second interim report that was also made following the first meeting's recommendations, the government was asked to make arrangements so that before finalisation of any rule and regulation, the drafts are made public.
As per the second interim report, the Council of Advisers has made a draft regarding pre-publication of rules and regulations and referred it to the Chief Adviser on April 24, 2008. But no development took place after that, RRC sources said.
The RRC in its third interim report asked the government for introducing online registration system in the Board of Investment (BoI).
In its 20th meeting, the BoI had formed a committee on June 8 this year and asked it to submit its report by four weeks. The report of the committee was presented in the 21st meeting of the BoI on August 9.
The other major recommendations of the RRC included processing and approval of foreign private loans, formulating necessary rules and regulations for recognising private courier services, amendment to the land registration law, reforming location clearance certificate and environmental clearance certificate rules, reforming duty drawback and exemption system, capital machinery import clearance system.
About the reform of the land registration law, the law ministry has already said that it is unable to take any initiative, as a case related to the land law is under trial.
Besides, the government has issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) implementing the RRC recommendations for reforming Location Clearance Certificate and Environmental Clearance Certificate Rules.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RRC Apurba Kumar Biswas said the tenure of the Commission should be extended if the recommendations were to be implemented and monitored.
More recommendations were to be made in many other sectors, he said, adding if the RRC did not exist after the caretaker regime, the political government might find it difficult to implement the recommendations or they might simply discontinue the current move.