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Southern senators seek support for PIB

By on February 15, 2013

Senators from the southern part of the country have embarked on a move to save the beleaguered Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in the National Assembly.

Daily Independent findings revealed that the Senators have decided to engage the services of consultants who will educate them on the technical aspects of the bill.

Although their counterparts from the North are kicking against it, a source said Senators from the South are insisting that the bill has no sectional agenda.

“We want consultants to come and brief us on the technical areas of the bill. There are so many parts that needed interpretation and we cannot do this by ourselves; so we are inviting experts to do it for us.”

Another source also disclosed that apart from the PIB, the issue of constitution review and 2013 budget is concentrating the minds of the Senators.

Daily Independent also gathered that the Southern Senators have resolved to trash out any contentious clause in the PIB with their Northern colleagues to ensure speedy passage.

“The Senators are keen on passing the bill; all of us have since received copies and I believe that by now virtually everybody must have gone through it,” the source said.

The PIB failed to scale through in the sixth National Assembly due to what members called multiplicity of versions. Various attempts to harmonise the versions failed.

Although the bill was already at the Second Reading stage in the House of Representatives, it could not be completed before the 2011 elections.

Consequently, the PIB was returned to the Presidency for re-presentation to the seventh National Assembly.

The PIB is to deal with the critical sectors of the petroleum industry and provide a guideline for using proceeds from the industry to develop other sectors of the economy.

Southern Senators have met twice this week in the Senate with the PIB topping the agenda.

 

[Daily Independent]