Parliament scraps REDs from new draft Electricity Bill

THE National Assembly (NA) passed the new draft Electricity Bill before the House went into recess on Thursday.

The new bill was passed when the majority of the house agreed to the new amendments contained within it. All references to the controversial Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs) have been expunged from the new legislation.Mines Minister Erkki Nghimtina said earlier last week that there was a general feeling among Government officials that the electricity distributors should fall under the Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing, rather than under the Mines Ministry.Debate continued in the House on Thursday over whether the removal of clauses in the Electricity Bill which refer to these companies meant that they would in fact now be operating illegally until new legislation for them was passed.The amended bill was approved after 32 members agreed to it, eight rejected it, and seven abstained from voting.A number of MPs said that the need for the new legislation had not been properly explained to them, and these members formed those who opposed the bill.The NA will sit again from September 11.They will then be expected to resume debate on the formation of an African Union government by the year 2015.This was the last topic up for debate by the time the House adjourned.All references to the controversial Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs) have been expunged from the new legislation.Mines Minister Erkki Nghimtina said earlier last week that there was a general feeling among Government officials that the electricity distributors should fall under the Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing, rather than under the Mines Ministry.Debate continued in the House on Thursday over whether the removal of clauses in the Electricity Bill which refer to these companies meant that they would in fact now be operating illegally until new legislation for them was passed.The amended bill was approved after 32 members agreed to it, eight rejected it, and seven abstained from voting.A number of MPs said that the need for the new legislation had not been properly explained to them, and these members formed those who opposed the bill.The NA will sit again from September 11.They will then be expected to resume debate on the formation of an African Union government by the year 2015.This was the last topic up for debate by the time the House adjourned.