Special Parliament sitting set

National

By HELEN TARAWA
PARLIAMENT has been recalled for a special session next Tuesday to consider emergency laws and government business in relation to the state of national emergency.
Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae signed the instruments on Monday.
The special session is for the declaration of national emergency in Southern Highlands, Hela, Western and Gulf following the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Feb 26.
Acting Clerk of Parliament Kala Aufa confirmed receipt of the gazettal notice.
Aufa said Speaker Job Pomat would issue the notice this week to inform MPs of the special sitting.
Aufa said Parliament had been scheduled to resume on April 3 but since it was being recalled earlier, the session was likely to be held over two weeks.
After the earthquake, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill had announced the formation of an emergency disaster restoration team and the establishment of a restoration authority bill to be tabled in an emergency session of Parliament.
The government also declared a state of emergency in the four provinces worst hit by the earthquake and allocated K450 million for relief operations and restorations of services.