Council of Ministers refers 3 bills to HoPR

Addis Ababa, October 27, 2023 (FBC) – On its 25th regular session held today, the Council of Minister of Ethiopia has referred proposed bills on Personal Data Protection, Rural Land Use & Management, and Special Economic Zones to the FDRE House Peoples Representatives (HoPR) for approval with additional inputs.

First, the Council discussed on the Personal Data Protection Bill. The draft bill has been designed to introduce a law that stipulates the rights of individuals on their personal information in detail in the country; to build the nation’s personal data protection system in pursuant to the international standards and gain multi-faceted benefits; and to build an effective digital economy by establishing a legal framework and a governing law that stipulates the rights and obligations of actors in the area by enhancing the culture and practices of personal data protection.

Secondly, the Council discussed the Rural Land Use & Management bill. This draft bill has also been designed to establish a rural land use and management system in order to conform the living standards of the farmers, semi-pastoralists and pastoralists with Ethiopia’s current economic, political and social development status; to strengthen the tenure security of the land owners; to customize a quality rural land data recording and registration system in order to solve disputes related to land use; and to ensure that the benefit of today’s generation does not deprive of the future generation’s fortunes through a sustainable rural land use system that takes into account the various ecological zones of the country.

The third proposed bill was designed to transform the existing industrial parks system into a special economic zone system. According to the Office of the Prime Minister, this bill was proposed to in view to speed up the economic growth of the country by altering the existing industrial parks system and transform it into a special economic zone system; to guide the development management and control of special economic zones to be established in viable and strategic areas; to boost country’s ability to benefit from the international trade value chain; and to strengthen the nation’s ability to compete effectively through regional trade networks.

After extensive discussion on three of the proposed bills, the Council unanimously decided to refer them to the House of Peoples’ Representatives for approval with additional inputs.