The National Agricultural Products Regulatory Agency Bill Soon

According to the Ministry of Agro-industry, the main elements of this bill focuses on the functions and responsibilities of NAPRO the registration and licensing and contracts, the criteria for import and export, arbitration and appeal and regulations, offenses, among others. NAPRO responsibilities have been established as follows: control and regulate the import, export, production and sale of regulated products, including meat, meat products, tea products, tea, tobacco and of tobacco control and regulate the preparation, processing, packaging and manufacture of regulated products regulate the activities and facilities in connection with the slaughter of animals and determine the prices at which green leaves and tobacco leaves could be sold to a producer by a farmer and in the case of a tenant to a farmer.

The NAPRO issue licenses and register farmers, producers, sharecroppers, importers and exporters of controlled products. This institution will also liaise between growers who intend to provide green leaves and tobacco leaves and producers. A committee will be established to hear disputes. Anyone who feels grieved may appeal to the Supreme Court and the Minister. The latter will implement the regulations. Any regulation may be related to the levying of taxes, the pricing of regulated products or schedule changes.

This new law repeal is the Tea Control Act, the Tobacco Production and Marketing Act, the Tobacco Production and Regulations, the Tobacco Production and Marketing (Registers and Accounts) Regulations, the Meat (Shops) Regulations, the Tobacco Production and Marketing (Import Licensing) Regulations and Clauses 4 (e), (f), (g), Clauses 12 to 17, Section 18 (2) and Schedule of Meat Act. It makes provision for fines not exceeding Rs 25,000 and imprisonment for a term not exceeding 24 months.