THE MINISTRY of Local Government, Community Development and Sport is currently reviewing 29 long-standing regulations under the legal reform programme of the Ministry.
Four sub-committees within the Ministry, along with the Legal and Institutional Reform Steering Committee (LIRSC), an oversight body, have been given the task to draft amendments to the existing regulations.
The regulations to be amended include the Road Traffic Act that is being revised to regulate traffic and parking; the Spirit Licence Act to better empower local authorities to efficiently regulate the licence application system; and the Public Health Act (Barbers and Hairdressers Regulations) which would licence and regulate operators of barber shops and beauty salons.
The legal reform process now under way in the Ministry of Local Government is intended to further strengthen and empower the country's Parish Councils to carry out their operations more efficiently.
According to legal consultant at the Ministry, Lenworth Burke, the Ministry's reform process was part of a broader programme to implement policy measures within the Parish Councils to strengthen the institutions and improve the quality of the workforce of the various Councils.
To this end, Mr. Burke said there was unanimity within the Ministry that stakeholders involved in local governance should participate at all stages of the legal reform.
The legal consultant pointed out that more than 100 laws fall under the purview of the Ministry, adding that the four sub-committees were formed to have a better handle on the various laws. The sub-committees are Revenue and Finance, Civic Order and Regulation, Planning, Development and Infrastructure, and Municipal Government.
Mr. Burke said the "sub-committees draw members from all across the island. In fact, some of them are even geographically based in different parts of the island and they draw (on) ordinary rank and file employees. For example, some are from the local authorities, along with interested persons from the wider community and in some cases, staff from the Ministry."
He said that the committees would meet to identify problematic issues, suggest solutions, and "based on that, allow us to carry submissions to the Cabinet for appropriate amendments to the law".
Noting that the process of amending laws was a long and tedious task, Mr. Burke said that various pieces of legislation which have an impact on national issues were given prominence.
"We literally prioritise the laws or put them in a list according to priorities because the process is long," he said.
Already, Mr. Burke said, the Ministry's legal reform has borne fruit as the Pound Act and Keeping of Animals Act are to be presented in the House for Debate soon.
Other measures to be taken to the House for consideration are the Property Tax Act, which will introduce new property tax rates and additional methods of serving valuation and assessment notices, and the Parochial Rates and Finance Act, which would establish accounts for paying for street lights and other property-related services.
