MP for Couva North Ravi Ratiram, has strongly criticized the government’s decision to abandon the Joint Select Committee – Fisheries Management (No.2) Bill 2020 of the Parliament, rendering all the collaborative efforts not only by government members but also by the opposition and independent members as quashed.
The government’s abrupt abandonment of the JSC and the work accomplished within it, has raised serious concerns.
MP Ratiram highlights the lack of communication from the government to Parliament, regarding the withdrawal of the current bill before the House of Representatives. Instead, a second bill has now been placed in the public domain causing confusion and sending mixed signals. MP Ratiram is now questioning the basis for withdrawing the first bill and abandoning the JSC.
Furthermore, in light of the concerns surrounding the first bill and second bill, MP Ratiram demands clarity on the government’s intentions. He questions whether the government plans to submit the second bill to a JSC for thorough evaluation, or if they intend to rush it through Parliament without the benefit of a JSC, hence denying both opposition and independent inputs. MP Ratiram emphasizes the need for a greater degree of consultation on this new bill and calls for transparency in the decision-making process.
MP Ratiram firmly asserts that the government’s failure to provide a comprehensive statement explaining the abandonment of the Joint Select Committee – Fisheries Management (No.2) Bill 2020 and the current Bill before the Parliament is unacceptable.
He urges Minister Kazim Hosein to address these concerns promptly and communicate clearly with the public about the future course of action concerning the Fisheries Management Bill.
Ravi Ratiram, MP,
Member of Parliament,
Couva North.
