THE Parliamentary Bills and Legislation Committee successfully concluded hearings on the Wild Life Protection (Amendment) Bill 2016 and the Ombudsman Bill 2016 on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.

A total of five key groups of stakeholders from government and NGOs appeared before the Committee for the Wild Life Protection and Management (Amendment) Bill 2016.

The Ombudsman Bill 2016 gathered a total of six government divisions, while civil society groups such as the Transparency Solomon Islands and Forum Solomon Islands International (FSII) promised to provide written submissions.

The Wild Life Protection and Management (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the Wild life Protection and Management Act 1998 to enable Solomon Islands to fully implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of wild Fauna and Flora.

Solomon Islands has been a party to CITES since 2007; however, the current Act only regulates trade in domestic species, thus it appears to only regulate particularly the export of domestic species whereas CITES requires Solomon Islands to also regulate the import of species that are not native to Solomon Islands.

Also, the requirements for permitting the import and export of species as outlined in CITES, are not enshrined in the current Act.

It is expected that amendments to the Act will ensure Solomon Islands is fully compliant with obligations under the CITES.

Meanwhile as for the, The Ombudsman Bill 2016, it seeks to strengthen the office and powers of the Ombudsman.

The objects of the Bill are:

1. To repeal and replace the current Ombudsman ( further provisions) Act (Cap.88) to give effect to the Constitutional independence and mandate of the office of the Ombudsman in an improved manner;
2. To ensure there is continuity in the functions of the Ombudsman even in cases where the position of the Ombudsman is vacant;
3. To ensure there is more responsiveness on the part of prescribed persons and bodies in relation to implementing the recommendations of the Ombudsman;
4. To provide more transparency, accountability and protection from arbitrary and unfair decisions by prescribed persons or bodies against citizens and residents of Solomon Islands.

These two Bills together with the other eight Bills already heard by the Committee will go before the upcoming meeting for debate.

Parliament will resume on Monday February 6, after it was adjourned on Friday December 16, 2016.

–PARLAIMENT MEDIA