Z’bar to establish e-government authority, student loans board

ZANZIBAR: THE Zanzibar House of Representatives two-week session is scheduled to begin here on Wednesday with two important bills set for second and third reading before discussion and approval by the members.

This was explained by the House Clerk Ms Raya Issa Msellem at the press conference to brief the media about the preparations for the meeting, and that all necessary arrangements are complete.

She mentioned bills that were read for the first time in the previous meeting, and to be tabled for discussion as: ‘A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Zanzibar E-Government Agency Act, No. 12 of 2019 and Enact the Zanzibar E-Government Authority Act to Regulate the E-Government Services in Zanzibar.”

Another bill is about repealing the Zanzibar Higher Education Loans Board Act, No. 3 of 2011, and enacting the Zanzibar Higher Education Students’ Loans Board which will provide financial assistance to students.

The object of enacting the Zanzibar Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (ZHESLB) is to provide financial assistance to students and to establish the Higher Education Student Loan Board to provide loan opportunities to Zanzibari students with the qualifications to join various levels of higher education in the country and abroad.

As regards to the objective of enacting the e-Government Authority Act is for the management of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) issues in the Zanzibar Public Service, “It also intends to increase the legislative powers to manage and control the use of ICT in the public service,” .

During the media briefing held yesterday before the beginning of the Fourteenth Meeting of the Tenth House of Representatives of Zanzibar, the clerk said that legislators will also get answers for their 181 main questions plus supplementary questions, from respective ministers.

“The House timetable also includes the presentation of the Reports of the Standing Committees of the House of Representatives for the Year 2023/2024 and suggestion reports on the national plan,” Ms Msellem said.

She informed journalists the report on the Implementation of the Opinions, Advice and Recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the year 2020/2021 will be presented.

She explained that members of the House and listeners will also hear from the five members representing Zanzibar House in the union parliament, and also the 2022/2023 report of the Zanzibar Drugs Control and Enforcement Authority (ZDCEA).