By Saio Marrah
The Parliament of Sierra Leone has committed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Act of 2021 to the legislative committee for proper scrutiny after the second reading and debate.
The amendment of the 2010 EPA Act now moves the agency from the Office of the President to the Ministry of Environment. It also seeks to involve the local authorities in the protection of environment as well as increase the fines for defaulters.
Several members of parliament, especially from the opposition requested for it to be committed to the legislative committee because according to them there are certain things they wanted to amend.
The Minister of Environment, Professor Foday Moriba Jaward, while reading the bill in the well of parliament on Tuesday 16th November 2021, noted that the environment is polluted in many ways.
He also said Sierra Leone is being ranked as one of the most risky countries in the world to be affected by climate change and called for urgent action to protect the environment.
He said the review of the bill will not only ensure decentralization of powers to local authorities for their interventions, but also include women who are the most vulnerable people, to the effects of climate change.
He also noted that climate change was not adequately addressed in the 2008 Act but the new one will now give the agency the powers to investigate and prosecute defaulters.
The minister also noted that the planting of 5 million trees is ongoing, with over 1 million already planted.
The leader of National Grand Coalition (NGC) party Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, after commending the amendment of the bill, pointed out to the minister that deforestation is high and called for more time to be given to allow MPs bill to have an input for its betterment.
Another MP from the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) party Hassan Abdul Sesay, of constituency 050, Tonkolili district, described climate change as a serious issue.
But according to him, while the president went to Glasgow for the global summit on climate change, he said the ban on the shipment of the timber was lifted. He also noted discussions surrounding climate change that has led to global warming but stressed activities associated to environmental degradation and deforestation must not be overlooked.
Copyright © Politico Online 17/11/21
