People's Assembly approves report on formation of 16 permanent committees

DAMASCUS– During a session chaired by Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Lahham on Tuesday, the People's Assembly approved a report on the formation of the Assembly's 16 permanent committees.

The committees are:

-Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee.
-Budget and Accounts Committee.
-Financial Laws Committee.
-Arab and Foreign Affairs Committee.
-Guidance and Direction Committee.
-Planning and Production Committee.
-Services Committee.
-National Security Committee.
-Interior and Local Administration Committee.
-Complaints and Petitions Committee.
-Agriculture and Irrigation Committee.
-Environment and Demographic Activity Committee.
-Public Liberties and Human Rights Committee.
-Women, Family and Children Rights Committee.
-Youth Committee.
-Journalism, Press and Publishing Committee.

Speaker al-Lahham called upon the committees to convene on Wednesday and elect their heads and deputies, noting that any member with suggestions on amending the internal system can provide them so that they may be referred to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for discussion.

During the session, the Assembly members said that the draft of the new internal system must allow for members to be members of more than one committee.

The Assembly referred a number of legislative decrees issued by the President to the appropriate committee for study, including one on establishing the Water Resources Ministry to replace the Irrigation Committee, a decree on establishing the Housing and Urban Development Ministry and the Public Works Ministry, and a decree on establishing the Interior Trade and Consumer Protection Ministry and the Economy and Foreign Trade Ministry, among other decrees.

The Assembly also referred bills from the President to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee for verifying their constitutional validity and prioritizing them, including a bill on bio-security of genetically-modified life forms and products, a bill on amending the consumer protection law, and a bill on counter-terrorism, among others.

The members' written question were referred to the appropriate authorities via the Prime Ministry. Most of the questions focused on caring for rural areas, the possibility of relocating facilities from cities to the countryside to provide better services, dealing with problems in the agricultural market and stabilizing it, and allowing everyone to import and export.

The questions also dealt with issues related to livestock resources, product classification, health services in rural areas, supporting farmers, irrigation, banking, electric power, and establishing free trade zones with Russia.

The session was adjourned until 12 PM on Wednesday.

Tuesday 26-06-2012