The National Assembly (NA) has passed the Agricultural Product Standards Amendment Bill and the National Veld and Forest Fire Amendment Bill during its hybrid plenary on Tuesday.

The Agricultural Product Standards Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990; to provide for the auditing of a product for management control systems; to make provision for the setting of tariffs by assignees on a cost-recovery basis, and to make further provisions for the Minister to make regulations pertaining to audit and management control systems.

The National Veld and Forest Fire Amendment Bill seeks to amend the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 1998, to provide for the facilitation of the formation of fire protection associations by a municipality or a traditional council.

It also seeks to compel a municipality, State-owned enterprise, public entity or another organ of State, which owns land to join the fire protection associations.

The Bill further seeks to extend the powers of entry, search, seizure, and arrest to peace officers and traditional leaders and to amend the title of the Act to the National Veldfire Act.

“Having considered and deliberated on the Bills, the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment recommended that the NA approve the Bills with amendments. The two Bills will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for concurrence,” said Parliamentary spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo.

Source: South African Government News Agency