ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly, Friday, passed, “The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024” to ensure public health and safety by regulating the cannabis cultivation, refining, manufacturing, sale, industrial products, export generation and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan.
Federal Minster for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the bill for passage. The House passed the bill with majority.
According to the objects and reasons of the bill, “this legislation aims to establish a clear regulatory framework to generate government revenue through taxation and to promote the development of supply chain for industrial and medicinal cannabis. A Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority is to ensure public health and safety by regulating the cultivation, extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale of cannabis and its derivatives in accordance with international obligations and best practices.”
The objective of the legislation is “to promote local development of Cannabis based medicinal and industrial products, export generation and attracting Foreign Direct Investing (FDI), undertake research, development, and capacity building initiatives in collaboration with international counterparts to promote the growth and development of the Cannabis industry in Pakistan.”
Earlier, Minister for Water Resources Musadik Malik, Friday, told the National Assembly that the federal government was financing construction of 32 dams during the current fiscal year.
During question-hour session of the Lower House of the Parliament, the minister said that after completion the project of 32 dams would have a capacity to store about 8,429,288 acres feet of water. He said the new areas which would come under irrigation after completion of the dams would be 436,934 acres.
He said that during the current fiscal year, the federal government was sponsoring construction of 32 dam projects, costing Rs1.057 billion.
He said that each province was getting its water share. He said a contract had also been awarded for installation of an automatic telemetry system to end water related disputes among the provinces.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar told the House that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission to train nurses as per the international standards. He said that would enable Pakistan to meet demand of nurses both at home and abroad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024