Ship Recycling Bill approved in principle by cabinet
The owners of ship-breaking businesses would face a minimum of Tk 10 lakh and a maximum of Tk 30 lakh in fine or the maximum one year's imprisonment or both if they import, break or anchor ships at the coast without taking permission of the authority concerned, according to a draft law.
The "Bangladesh Ship Recycling Bill, 2015" also proposes formation of a regulatory body, "Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board", to enhance monitoring and minimising environmental hazards in the industry.
The cabinet, at a meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, yesterday approved the bill in principle, meaning it would undergo an examination by the law ministry before being finally endorsed by the cabinet and then placed in parliament for passage.
Briefing journalists at the Secretariat, Cabinet Secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the law's aim was to address occupational health hazards of the industry's huge workforce, ensure safe working conditions, better waste management, and protect the coastal environment.
Businesses would need to take permission of the "Ship Recycling Board".
The cabinet also approved in principle the draft "Petroleum Law, 2015" for more efficiently regulating import, storage, and transportation of petroleum.
The draft law is an updated version of the existing petroleum ordinance and doubles the extent of the punishment for violations in petroleum production, refining, mixing, recycling or reusing.
According to the draft, if the person concerned hides information about any accident, they would face a one year's imprisonment or Tk 20,000 in fine or both. Earlier the punishment was a six months' jail sentence or Tk 10,000 in fine or both.
The cabinet also reviewed the implementation progress of its decisions for the 2nd quarter (April-June) of 2015 where the success rate is 64.71 percent. The rate was 55.93 percent in the corresponding period last year.
From April to June, the cabinet took 68 decisions, of which 44 were implemented.
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