Pretoria – Government has approved a number of bills for various sectors in the country.
Cabinet approved the submission of the Broadcasting Amendment Bill of 2015 to Parliament.
“The bill amends the Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act 4 of 1999) so as to develop and implement a stable corporate governance model that ensures long-term stability and sustainability of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC),” Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe said.
He said government is committed to a strong, independent and relevant public broadcaster, which is accountable to the shareholder, the public and Parliament.
Minister Radebe was briefing the media on Thursday in Cape Town on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting.
Cabinet also accepted the Insurance Bill of 2015 to be introduced in Parliament.
“The Bill provides a consolidated legal framework for the prudential supervision of the insurance sector that is consistent with international standards for insurance regulation.
The Bill enhances the current risk management, capital and governance requirements.
“It replaces and also consolidates substantial parts of the Long-Term Insurance Act, 1998 (Act 52 of 1998) and the Short-Term Insurance Act, 1998 (Act 53 of 1998) relating to prudential supervision,” Minister Radebe said.
Cabinet also sanctioned the publication of the Draft African Exploration Mining and Finance Bill in the Government Gazette for public comment.
The bill establishes the African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation through legislation.
“It also defines its mandate and strategic objectives. It strengthens the governance and oversight of the entity,” he said.
Another bill that was approved was the introduction of the Protected Disclosures Amendment Bill of 2015.
The bill extends the application of the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000 (Act 26 of 2000) beyond the traditional employer and employee relationship.
“These amendments regulate joint liability, introduce a duty to investigate disclosures, provide for immunity against civil and criminal liability in certain circumstances and criminalise intentional false disclosures,” Minister Radebe said.
The amendments also contribute to government’s commitment to fight fraud and corruption by strengthening the protection of whistle-blowers.
Lastly, Cabinet approved the introduction of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Bill of 2015 in Parliament.
This bill amends the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, 1998 (Act 46 of 1998).
“The bill will assist the Road Traffic Infringement Agency and the issuing authorities to be financially stable, and it also introduces efficiencies in serving notices to infringers,” Minister Radebe said. - SAnews.gov.za
