Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697795874008.pdf (Jamaica)
ORDER OF BUSINESS OF THE SENATE OF JAMAICA THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012 PRAYERS STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS ANNOUNCEMENTS BILLS BROUGHT FROM THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PETITIONS PAPERS REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES NOTICES OF MOTIONS GIVEN ORALLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS (For answer on the 16th March, 2012 – Questions No.

2 and 3) (For answer on the 30th March, 2012 – Question No.

4) (For answer on the 6th April, 2012 – Questions No.
5, 6 and 7) MOTIONS THAT MAY BE MADE AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS REQUIRING NOTICE MOTIONS RELATING TO SITTINGS OF THE SENATE MOTIONS FOR LEAVE TO INTRODUCE BILLS PRESENTATION OF BILLS WITHOUT LEAVE OF THE SENATE FIRST OBTAINED PUBLIC BUSINESS PRIVATE MEMBERS’ MOTIONS NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 24TH FEBRUARY, 2012 Page 2 of 7 1.

Senator Duncan-Price – To move – [No.
3] WHEREAS there is widespread doubt concerning the integrity of the system by which drivers’ licences are issued in Jamaica where too often: (i) Licences are issued to persons who have not done a driving test; (ii) (iii) Licences are issued to persons who are challenged in terms of literacy, many of whom are not efficient at interpreting the road code; Licences are issued to individuals which allow them to drive a much heavier type of motor vehicle than the one they were examined for; AND WHEREAS that doubt is continually strengthened by the character of the chaotic driving that is witnessed all too often on our roadways, causing untold discomfort, mayhem and death: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable Senate call upon the Government authorities to conduct a re-examination of the system, in particular, the process and qualifications required for an applicant to be successful in obtaining a valid driver’s licence.
2.

Senator Grant – To move – [No.
4] WHEREAS the production of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee has decreased from 475,416 boxes (that is, 4.5 million pounds) in crop year 2006-2007 to an estimated 140,000 boxes (that is, 1.3 million pounds) by the end of crop year 2011-1012; AND WHEREAS the production of non-Blue Mountain coffee has decreased from 80,032 boxes (that is, 760,000 pounds) in crop year 2006-2007 to an estimated 50,000 boxes (that is, 475,000 pounds) by the end of crop year 2011-2012; AND WHEREAS the coffee berry borer pest is posing a serious challenge to the country’s over 10,000 coffee farmers, which, if not contained, could result in the farmers losing between 30- 50 percent of their production; and the sector and the economy J$430 million in revenue; AND WHEREAS some coffee farmers have abandoned their farms over the last 4 years as a result of the reduction in the demand and price of coffee: BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate commend the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Government for the effort to rescue the Jamaican coffee industry through the provision of a $29 million emergency aid to combat the infestation of farms affected by the coffee berry borer pest and to also improve plant nutrition; Page 3 of 7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Honourable Senate recommend that the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Coffee Industry Board and the coffee dealers and farmers collaborate in the strategy to expand the markets for Jamaican coffee through diversification of market, expansion of product, improvement of product quality and further strategic interventions to increase the production levels and market over time.
3.

Senator Tufton – To move – [No.
5] WHEREAS the current Patent Act is dated 1857; AND WHEREAS the Patent and Designs Bill has been in a working draft for more than ten (10) years, with consistent delays for various reasons; AND WHEREAS the failure to amend the patent law is having negative consequences for protection and viability of Jamaica’s intellectual property protection and the protection of our innovators and inventors in a number of areas, including: (i) (ii) (iii) Inadequate protection for Jamaican inventors and innovators to participate in a modern international patent system, thus compromising their capacity to earn from their innovations and inventions; Jamaica’s inability to benefit from technical assistance and capacity building in the area of innovative activities available under the Patent Corporation Treaty, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, as Jamaica cannot join the Treaty until the new legislation is passed; Jamaica remaining on the United States Trade Representative 301 Watch of countries under review for failure to enact the new patent legislation that will be fully compliant with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS), of which Jamaica is a signatory: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable Senate call on the Government to give priority to enacting legislation for the new Patent and Designs Bill to give protection to Jamaican innovators and inventors and to benefit Jamaica from the integration into a modern internationally accepted patent system.
4.

Senator Johnson Smith – To move – [No.
6] WHEREAS the role of Government has expanded beyond ministries and departments, and public bodies have taken on increasing importance in the provision of public services to all Jamaicans; AND WHEREAS it is indisputable that improved governance practices have globally been shown to result in better performance by firms in private and public sectors; AND WHEREAS it is also indisputable that reliance on political affiliation rather than on competence, qualifications and diversity is known to result in lower levels of performance; Page 4 of 7 AND WHEREAS Jamaicans deserve ever improving service levels from public bodies, and, therefore, require increased accountability and transparency in the establishment of public boards; AND WHEREAS Jamaica has just experienced its first change of political administration since the promulgation of a governance framework for public bodies in September 2011; AND WHEREAS Jamaica, therefore, now has its first opportunity to broadly apply the framework to the appointment of persons to the boards of public bodies: BE IT RESOLVED that the Corporate Governance Framework for Public Bodies of September 2011 be immediately implemented by the current administration so as to ensure the systematic adoption of proper governance guidelines and the maintenance by public bodies of the highest levels of accountability, transparency, and service delivery to the benefit of all Jamaicans.
NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 9TH MARCH, 2012 5.

Senator Grant – To move – [No.
9] WHEREAS it is estimated that the agricultural sector loses $5 billion annually as a result of praedial larceny and this evil activity continues to destroy the livelihood of the country’s farmers and the Jamaican economy, and impacts negatively on the sustained development of the agricultural sector; AND WHEREAS the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, through a Praedial Larceny Prevention Coordinator, is collaborating with the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Parish Councils, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, farmers, the private sector, and communities to effectively implement the Praedial Larceny Prevention Programme; AND WHEREAS the farmers affected are not provided with any compensation for loss sustained as a result of the activity of praedial larceny: BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate commend the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for the re-launch of the JAS Produce Receipt Book Programme and the review of the laws governing praedial larceny, with a view to strengthening them; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Government consider the establishment of a framework for the victim compensation fund for farmers affected by praedial larceny.
NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 16TH MARCH, 2012 6.

Senator Williams – To move – [No.
10] WHEREAS the House of Representatives have adopted certain changes in the practices and procedures in that House; AND WHEREAS it is desirable that the Senate adopt certain of the new practices and procedures now in use in the House of Representatives: BE IT RESOLVED that a review of the Standing Orders of the Senate be undertaken Page 5 of 7 to: (i) (ii) Allow for an Opposition Member to make a statement to the Senate in response to a statement made by a Minister; Introduce an Ethics Committee as a Sessional Select Committee, with terms of reference to include the examination of all Exemption Motions pursuant to section 41 of the Constitution of Jamaica; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this motion be referred to the Standing Orders Committee for consideration and report.
7.

Senator Montague – To move – [No.
11] WHEREAS the Parish Councils and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation maintain a list of indigent persons in each parish; AND WHEREAS the Parish Councils and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, through the Poor Relief Department and the Board of Supervision, are mandated to inspect each indigent person and his living conditions every two years; AND WHEREAS, by an initiative of the Department of Local Government, in 2008/2009 an Indigent Housing Fund was launched, in association with the Churches, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the private sector, to raise funds to seek to improve the living conditions of indigent persons across Jamaica: BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate recommend to the Government to undertake a structured programme of improvement to the indigent housing stock using skilled and unskilled workers under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP); BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the workers so utilised be certified by the HEART/NTA through the on-the-job assessment programme; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Government waive the General Consumption Tax (GCT) and any other tax on the building material to be used in this project; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in light of the upcoming hurricane season that this programme be prioritised for completion between April and May, 2012.
8.

Senator Grant – To – move Page 6 of 7 [No.

12] WHEREAS Green Paper No.

1 of 2011 entitled “Tax Reform for Jamaica” was laid on the Table of the Senate on the 10th day of February, 2011: BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate debate the proposals contained in the Green Paper and make its recommendation to the Cabinet.

9.

Senator Brown – To move – [No.
13] WHEREAS this year Jamaica celebrates fifty years as an independent nation; AND WHEREAS a critical manifestation of that independence is the existence of the sovereign Houses of Parliament; AND WHEREAS several Jamaicans have contributed to nation building, through service to the Parliament; AND WHEREAS it is important that the history of our Parliament and those who served it over our first fifty years of nationhood be recorded and preserved for posterity: BE IT RESOLVED that, as part of the official celebration of our fifty years of independence, the Government consider and commission a publication recording a history of our Parliament to include, inter alia, the names of its officers, Members, Clerks, Deputy Clerks and Marshals, as well as the titles of laws passed in the period since independence to the present.
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE Page 7 of 7 10.02.2012 1.

Special Select Committee to sit jointly with a similar committee appointed by the House of Representatives to consider and report on Green Paper No.

2 of 2011 titled “Options for Reform of the Public Sector Pension System”.

09.03.2012 Standing Orders Committee to consider and report on Private Members’ Motion No.

1 of 2.

2012, regarding the use of technology in the Senate, brought by Senator Norman Grant.
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