Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698838414312.pdf (Sierra Leone)
OAU DRIVE, TOWER HILL, FREETOWN P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S ____ (HANSARD) ______________ OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT THIRD SESSION - THIRD MEETING FRIDAY, 6TH MRACH, 2015 SESSION – 2014/2015 1 OAU DRIVE, TOWER HILL, FREETOWN P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S ____ (HANSARD) ______________ OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT VOLUME: I NUMBER: 13 Third Meeting of the Third Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.
Proceedings of the Sitting of the House Held on Friday, 6th March, 2015.

2 CONTENTS I. PRAYERS II.

RECORD OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SITTING HELD ON THURSDAY, 5TH MARCH, 2015.

III.

GOVERNMENT MOTION CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENT NO.5 OF 2014, THE CONSTITUTION OF SIERRA LEONE, 1991 (ACT NO.6 OF 1991) THE PUBLIC EMERGENCY REGULATIONS, 2014 PROPOSER: HON.

LEONARD S. FOFANAH SECONDER: HON.

ANSUMANA JAIA KAIKAI IV.


BILL THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2015 INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE 3 THE CHAMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE Official Hansard Report of the Proceedings of the House _____________________________________________________________ THIRD SESSION-THIRD MEETING OF THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT OF THE SECOND REPUBLIC _____________________________ Friday, 6th March, 2015.
The House met at 10:00 a.m. in Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown.

I. PRAYERS [The Clerk of Parliament, Hon.

Ibrahim Sulaiman Sesay, Read the Prayers].

[The Deputy Speaker, Hon.

Chernor R. M. Bah, in the Chair].

The House was called to Order 4 II.

CORRECTION OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SITTING, HELD ON THURSDAY, 5TH MARCH, 2015.

THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, we go through the record of Votes and Proceedings for the parliamentary sitting held on Thursday, 5th March, 2015.
Page 1?

Page 2?

Page 3?

Page 4?

Page 5?

Page 6?

Page 7.

There being no amendment, can someone move for the adoption of the record of Votes and Proceedings for the parliamentary sitting, held on Thursday, 5th March, 2015?

HON.

BENNEH BANGURA: Mr Speaker, I so move.

THE SPEAKER: Any seconder?

HON.

ALHASSAN J. KAMARA: I so second, Mr Speaker.

THE SPEAKER: Any counter motion?


(Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to) (Record of Votes and Proceedings for the Parliamentary siting held on Thursday, 5th March, 2015 has been adopted as presented) III.

MOTION CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENT NO.5 OF 2014, THE CONSTITUTION OF SIERRA LEONE, 1991 (ACT NO.6 OF 1991) THE PUBLIC EMERGENCY REGULATIONS, 2014 PROPOSER: HON.

LEONARD S. FOFANAH SECONDER: HON.


ANSUMANA JAIA KAIKAI BE IT RESOLVED: That the Public Emergency Regulations, Constitutional Instrument No.5 of 2014, which was laid on the Table of the House on the 21st day of August, 2014, having been extended on the 11th December, 2014, do continue to be in force for a further period of 90 days, commencing on the 11th day of March, 2015, pursuant to Section 29, Sub- section 10 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone.

HON.
HON.

LEONARD S. FOFANAH: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, be it resolved that the Public Emergency Regulations, Constitutional Instrument No.5 of 2014, which was 5 laid on the Table of the House on the 21st day of August, 2014, having been extended on the 11th of December, 2014, do continue to be in force for a further period of 90 days, commencing on the 11th day of March, 2015, pursuant to Section 29, Sub-section 10 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone.

HON.
HON.

ANSUMANA J. KAIKAI: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I rise to second the motion that has just been moved by the Acting Majority Leader of the House.

HON.

FODAY RADO YOKIE: Mr Speaker, I thought you were going to ask for a counter motion.

THE SPEAKER: Honourable Member, there is a procedure in this House.

This issue has been on the Order Paper.

This means that you cannot ask for a counter motion on what is on the Order Paper.
Honourable Member, if I may ask under what Standing Order did you rise up?

HON.

FODAY RADO YOKIE: Mr Speaker, I stand on S.O.

34.

There is a deviation in procedure, Mr Speaker.

There are those who may support and those who may not.

Therefore, I see no reason why we have to be under a state of emergency for another 90 days.

THE SPEAKER: Honourable Member, please advise yourself.
You have just said it all; and I want to say here that when the question is put, those in favour will vote in favour of the motion and those against the motion will say otherwise.

This has nothing to do with a counter motion.

A counter motion cannot be made on a motion which is on an Order Paper.
(Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to) [Motion of the Acting Majority Leader of the House, on the Public Emergency Regulations, Constitutional Instrument No.5 of 2014, which was laid on the Table of the House on the 21st day of August, 2014, having been extended on the 11th December, 2014, do continue to be in force for a further period of 90 days, commencing on the 11th day of March, 2015, pursuant to Section 29, Sub-section 10 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone has been ratified].

6 IV.
6 IV.

BILL THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2015 INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE MR AROW BOCKARIE (Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice): Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I move that the Bill entitled, ‘The Telecommunications Amendment Act, 2015,’ being an Act to amend the Telecommunications Act, be read the first time.
(Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to) (The Bill entitled the Telecommunications Amendment Act, 2015, has been read the SECOND READING first time) MR AROW BOCKARIE: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I move that the Bill entitled ‘The Telecommunications Amendment Act, 2015,’ being an Act to amend the Telecommunications Act, be read the second time.
Mr Speaker, the rationale behind the proposed amendment is to promote the ‘global super highway,’ with the aim of ensuring the socio-economic development of Sierra Leone.

The government is doing everything possible to ensure that technology is available and affordable to all Sierra Leoneans, whether living in the rural or urban areas.

This, and other reasons, in collaboration with the National Telecommunication Company, prompted the tabling of this Bill for the attention of this Honourable House.
Additionally, the Bill, when enacted into law, will help to combat terrorism and provides healthy internet services.

Therefore, I move that the Bill be read the second time.

(Question Proposed) HON.

BENNEH BANGURA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the presence of this Bill shows that the President meant what he said sometimes ago.

The Deputy Attorney- General and Minister of Justice made his presentation very simple and clear.

Mr Speaker, this Bill, if passed into law, will benefit every Sierra Leonean.
I need not say that we have been suffering, but some of us from Loko Masama have suffered far too 7 long.

However, with the passage of this Bill into law, my constituents will be extremely happy.

This will also go a long way in averting the issue of terrorist threats that is now a global phenomenon.

I want to implore this Honourable House to pass this Bill into law.

It is good for the people of Sierra Leone; and above all, it is non-controversial.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

HON.


UMAR PARAN TARAWALLY: Mr Speaker, my colleague on the other side said that this Bill is non-controversial, but I am tempted to say that to liberalise means to introduce competitions, and where competition is introduced, monopoly is discouraged.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this process is like giving birth to a baby.

In this case, Sierratel is a baby of the government of Sierra Leone; and we are now sending this child into the world to compete with other operators.
Introducing liberalisation of the gateway will surely help those who are craving to be in line with modern day technology.

The economic burden that has been placed on us by a host of other factors will be alleviated if we take advantage of this innovation.

If passed into law, it will eventually reduce the burden on government.

Section 10 of the Act states that Cabinet shall supervise and the Ministry shall allow the technocrats, like NATCOM to mediate.
I want to remind this House that we have just approved the nomination of Mr Momoh Conteh, and we are now putting the legal framework to ease the work of the Commission.

HON.

HASSAN A. SESAY: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to thank all those involved in putting this document together.

The Bill seeks to liberalise the gateway and discourage monopoly.

If this process goes through, it will bring economic benefit to the people of Sierra Leone.
The people of this country will benefit in terms of the quality services that would be provided.

I am of the opinion that monopoly should be discouraged completely.

HON.

ANSUMANA J. KAIKAI: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the amendment we have before us is an amendment to repeal certain sections of the Parent Act in order to ensure that the only institution that government trusted, i.e., Sierratel is given the wherewithal to monitor and supervise the gateway.
I am sure there is popular support 8 for this Bill to become an Act of Parliament.

On that note, this is a simple amendment and we should have it ratified.

HON.

LEONARD S. FOFANAH: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let me say that sufficient justifications have been proffered in support of this amendment.

This means that this Bill is timely and it is in place.

I want to thank all those who have contributed to this debate.
On that note, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to crave the indulgence of this House to speedily pass this Bill into law.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

MR AROW BOCKARIE: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I move that the Telecommunications (Amendment) Act, 2015, be read the second time.
COMMITTEE STAGE CLAUSE I TO STAND PART OF THE BILL (Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to) Clause I stand part of the Bill THIRD READING MR AROW BOCKARIE: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this Bill, having gone through the Committee of the whole House, I move that the Bill entitled, ‘The Telecommunications (Amendment) Act, 2015,’ be read the third time and passed into law.
(Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to) (The Bill entitled, ‘The Telecommunications (Amendment) Act, 2015,’ has been read the third time and passed into law).

(The House rose at 10.41 a.m., and was adjourned to Thursday, 12th March, 2015, at ADJOURNMENT 10.00 a.m.) 9