House Endorses, Refers Bills

Addis Ababa, April 17(ENA)-- The House of Peoples' Representatives endorsed a bill providing for the amendment of the commercial registration and business licensing proclamation as well as the draft trade practice proclamation.

In its 20th regular session on Thursday, the house also heard the 1994 and the first half of the 1995 e.c. performance report of the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

The Federal Ethics and Anti-corruption Commissioner, Enewey Gebremedhin said in her report that the commission has established a convenient working system to undertake its task.

Enewey said the commission has managed to freeze by court order 10.6 million Birr worth of company shares and 14.3 million birr, which was deposited in different banks..

The commission has filed charges against 131 persons accused of corruption committed in different federal government offices and public enterprises as well as various offices in Somali and South Ethiopia Peoples States.

The commission has been conducting studies and devising prevention mechanisms in government offices and public enterprises whose working procedures are vulnerable for corruption, the commissioner said.

Relevant training has been offered for ethics officers elected in 168 government offices and public enterprises, Enewey said.

She said preparations were also underway to offer similar training for other government offices and enterprises.

The house has referred the Federal Government Supplementary Budget Proclamation, the Bill to Amend Fuel Price Stabilization Fund Establishment Proclamation, to the pertinent committees.

It has also referred to the concerned committee the Cooperation Agreement between the Governments of Ethiopia and Turkey in Fighting against International Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, International Terrorism and Organized Crime.

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