Council of Ministers passes decisions on multiple agendas

Addis Ababa, April 11, 2024 (FBC) – During its 29th regular session convened today, the Council of Ministers of Ethiopia deliberated on nine agenda items, approving seven bills while referring the remaining two to the House of Peoples’ Representatives for endorsement with additional inputs.

Initially, the council addressed the draft policy concerning public service and administration.

Public service and administrative entities play a crucial role in executing governmental directives, policies, and strategies, expediting the process of state-building. The draft policy is centered around seven fundamental pillars, including establishing a free and independent civil service, promoting diversity and inclusivity, facilitating government structure, creating an effective public service delivery framework, developing competencies for public servants, enhancing services through a digital civil service, and advancing leadership and institutional capacity.

Following thorough deliberations on this agenda, the Council unanimously ratified the draft policy to come into effect with additional inputs.

Secondly, the Council deliberated on the draft policy aimed at fostering the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises. This proposed policy seeks to enhance the sector’s meaningful contribution to the economy by fostering favorable conditions for the establishment, growth, and expansion of MSMEs, aligning sector support with demand and capacity, and promoting inclusive development of the sector by supporting informal business activities.

Following discussions on the draft policy, the Council unanimously approved the bill to take effect with additional inputs.

Thirdly, the Council deliberated on the proposed draft regulation aimed at defining the structural organization, powers, and functions of the FDRE Environment Protection Authority. The draft regulation was presented to the council with the objective of delineating the authority’s powers, functions, and organizational structure to enable it to effectively fulfill its responsibilities, implement and supervise prevailing environmental protection policies, laws, and standards, as well as oversee Ethiopia’s international environmental protection agreements.

Following deliberations on this draft regulation, the Council approved the bill to take effect with additional inputs from the date of its publication on the Negarit Gazette.

The fourth agenda that the Council deliberated on was the Ethiopian Standards Bill. The bill was submitted to the Council with the aim of guaranteeing that domestically produced, imported, and exported products, services, and processes meet high-quality standards that can be uniformly implemented nationwide, fostering a cohesive system among regulatory bodies, and promoting transparency and accountability in the standards framework.

Following discussions on this draft bill, the council unanimously agreed to refer it to the House of People’s Representatives for approval with additional inputs.

The bill of Legal Metrology System aims to protect the health and safety of humans and animals by ensuring the accuracy of measurements and metrology measuring tools used in various sectors such as trade, health, safety, and environmental protection. It also seeks to prevent environmental pollution and promote comprehensive prosperity. Additionally, the bill is designed to enhance the country’s international trade relations by aligning with international metrology system laws.

After thorough discussion, the council unanimously agreed to forward the bill to the House of People’s Representatives for approval with additional inputs.

Moreover, the council deliberated upon and ratified a resolution pertaining to three draft regulations. Among these, the proposed draft regulation for the establishment of the Ethiopian Institute of Metrology (EMI) has been put forward to facilitate its provision of services aligned with global technological advancements in metrology, calibration, scientific instruments, as well as to conduct research, consultancy, and training.

The draft regulation for the establishment of the Ethiopian National Accreditation Office (ENAO) is intended to bolster the Office’s capacity in a way that enables the implementation of a nationally recognized accreditation system that meets international standards. This system is aimed at facilitating both domestic and foreign trade, safeguarding the health and well-being of the community, and establishing a fair trading environment.

The draft regulation put forth for the re-establishment of the Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise (ECAE) aims to safeguard the well-being of the user community by ensuring that both domestically produced and imported products and services adhere to international standards and legal mandates through the utilization of inspection, certification, and testing laboratories.

Following deliberations on the three draft regulations, the council unanimously endorsed them to come into forcewith additional inputs, starting from the day of their publication in the Negarit Gazette.

Finally, the council deliberated on the proposed draft regulations outlining the structural organization, powers, and functions of the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS). This draft regulation was formulated to ensure adequate protection for refugees and returnees, as well as to enable Ethiopia to fulfill its obligations in offering protection and assistance to refugees by effectively implementing the international and regional agreements it has endorsed.

After thorough deliberation, the Council unanimously approved the draft regulation, which will take effect with the additional inputs from the day of its publication in the Negarit Gazette.