Parliament not taking new petitions â€" clerk
Apr 10, 2011
PARLIAMENT has stopped receiving petitions from the public until May when a new Parliament is sworn in.
By Madina Tebajjukira
PARLIAMENT has stopped receiving petitions from the public until May when a new Parliament is sworn in.
The announcement was contained in a letter to the Mukono north MP, Betty Namboze, following a petition she had submitted, challenging the increase of trading licenses.
The letter, issued by deputy clerk P.G Wabwire, noted that it was impossible to process a petition because the process of handling petitions, as provided for by the Rules of Procedure, is elaborate and requires considerable time.
“Given that the term of the 8th Parliament is due to end soon, and the business committee has scheduled certain items of business as priority for Parliament, it is impractical to accommodate your request.â€
The letter advised Namboze to instead consider moving a motion for a resolution of Parliament urging the responsible minister to stop the local government administrations from levying trade license fees until the petition is disposed of in the 9th Parliament.
In January, Otafiire issued a new statutory instrument that increased the trading licence fees of different businesses.
The 1969 trade Act required wholesale traders to pay between sh60,000 and sh100,000, and retail traders between sh20,000 and sh35,000.
However, Kampala City Council hiked the fees to range between sh360,000 and sh950,000.
According to the amendments, wholesalers would pay license fees between sh60,000 and sh320,000, while retailers would pay half of that.
In the petition, shop owners and traders said the figures were unrealistic and contradictory to commercial growth and development.
“Besides, the instrument was made in abstract without any form of consultation with the affected business community,†the petition read.
Kampala City Traders Association has also rejected the increment, saying they were not consulted before the changes were made.
PARLIAMENT has stopped receiving petitions from the public until May when a new Parliament is sworn in.
The announcement was contained in a letter to the Mukono north MP, Betty Namboze, following a petition she had submitted, challenging the increase of trading licenses.
The letter, issued by deputy clerk P.G Wabwire, noted that it was impossible to process a petition because the process of handling petitions, as provided for by the Rules of Procedure, is elaborate and requires considerable time.
“Given that the term of the 8th Parliament is due to end soon, and the business committee has scheduled certain items of business as priority for Parliament, it is impractical to accommodate your request.â€
The letter advised Namboze to instead consider moving a motion for a resolution of Parliament urging the responsible minister to stop the local government administrations from levying trade license fees until the petition is disposed of in the 9th Parliament.
In January, Otafiire issued a new statutory instrument that increased the trading licence fees of different businesses.
The 1969 trade Act required wholesale traders to pay between sh60,000 and sh100,000, and retail traders between sh20,000 and sh35,000.
However, Kampala City Council hiked the fees to range between sh360,000 and sh950,000.
According to the amendments, wholesalers would pay license fees between sh60,000 and sh320,000, while retailers would pay half of that.
In the petition, shop owners and traders said the figures were unrealistic and contradictory to commercial growth and development.
“Besides, the instrument was made in abstract without any form of consultation with the affected business community,†the petition read.
Kampala City Traders Association has also rejected the increment, saying they were not consulted before the changes were made.