Substance Control Bill to be tabled in parlt soon

THE Substance Control Bill expected to be tabled in the April session of parliament will generate revenue for the country once passed, National Narcotics Bureau acting director general Nichodemus Mosoro says.
Mosoro told The National that the Bill would enable the bureau to charge fees and issue licences, monitor and inspect.
“It will raise revenue for the country, we will charge organisations or institutions when they apply for licences and when they breach (the conditions in) those licences, they will pay fines,” he said.
Mosoro, who was appointed by the National Executive Council on Oct 21, was tasked to lead his staff of 52 to work on the draft bill.
In terms of the progress of the draft, Mosoro said the instructions for the drafting of the Substance Control Bill were completed.
“We have briefed Minister (for Justice) Bryan Kramer and he hopes to have that legislation in parliament by April,” he said.
“We are waiting for a certificate of necessity from the State Solicitor’s Office to confirm if this bill was necessary to be drafted.
“We will then draft a National Executive Council submission to then direct the first legislative council to draft the Bill.
“That will be followed by a certificate of compliance and it would then be ready for parliament in April.”
Mosoro said their greatest challenge was the lack of technical people in the organisation which was what they were working on in the restructure.
“In our organisation, we need people like pharmacists and scientists who can make those analysis or develop those policies,” he said.