Cabinet okays draft of climate change trust fund law

The cabinet on Monday approved the draft of ‘Climate Change Trust Fund Act, 2010’ to create a permanent fund for ‘protecting lives and property of the people from adverse effects of climate change’.
The environment and forests ministry placed the draft in the weekly meeting of the cabinet at the secretariat with the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in the chair.
‘The cabinet has given approval to the draft of Climate Change Trust Fund Act, 2010, which will help create a permanent fund with donation from home and abroad and ensure transparency and accountability in operation of funds under various projects of the government and the non-governmental organisations,’ environment secretary Mihir Kanti Majumder told New Age after the meeting.
He said that the law, once enacted, would also give a legal cover to the already-formed trustee board to operate the climate change funds.
‘The trustee board can allocate 66 per cent of the total climate change fund against the projects under the government and the NGOs while the rest 34 per cent will remain deposited,’ the secretary said about the operation of the climate change fund.
The 17-member trustee board headed by the minister/state minister in charge of the forests ministry includes, among others, finance minister, agriculture minister, shipping minister, women and children affairs minister, foreign affairs minister, food minister, water resources minister and cabinet secretary.
The draft also proposes formation of a technical committee to be headed by environment secretary for maintaining accountability in release of funds and ensuring its proper utilisation as well.
‘The government’s allocation or donations from international agencies for tackling climate change impacts will come under the trust fund,’ the secretary mentioned adding that the government had already allocated Tk 700 crore for the purpose in the current fiscal.
The draft has been prepared in keeping with the Climate Change Guidelines 2009 which was approved by the cabinet on August 24, 2009, according to an official concerned.
Monday’s cabinet meeting also approved in principle a draft law against domestic violence.
‘The cabinet also approved in principle the drafts – Domestic Violence (Resistance and Protection) Act 2010, placed by the women and children affairs ministry and the Slaughtering of Cattle and Quality of Meat Control Act 2010 by fisheries and livestock ministry,’ the prime minister’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters at the secretariat.
He refused to give details as more changes might take place in the proposed laws.
He said that the draft of the climate change trust fund law had been approved for protecting lives and property of the people from the impacts of climate change.
The draft has been prepared in light of the laws relating to the labour welfare and the freedom fighters’ welfare fund, the press secretary added.
The cabinet, however, sent back the Right to Information (Amendment) Act 2010 for further scrutiny, he said.

Courtesy of NewAgebd