Gas Flaring: Senate Considers Stiffer Penalties As Nigeria Loses N271 Billion - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (J.T)
February 28, 2020
The Senate is planning stifferpenalties for individuals and corporate entities engaged gas flaring witheffect from January 1, 2021.
The Gas Flaring Prohibition andPunishment Bill, 2020, which was sponsored by Albert Bassey Akpan, scaledsecond reading during plenary yesterday.
Akpan, in his lead debate, recalledthat though the piece of legislation was passed by the eighth Senate in 2018,it, however, failed to receive concurrence of the House of Representatives dueto time constraints.
He added that the bill’sintroduction by the ninth assembly, which promises guaranteed rapidinfrastructure development of the oil and gas sector, would enhance revenueaccruable to government and ensure environmental improvement for the people ofthe Niger-Delta.
The sponsor observed that gasflaring affects the environment and human health, resulting in economic loss,deprivation of government of associated tax revenues and trade opportunities.
President of the Senate, AhmadLawan, referred the piece of legislation to the Senate Committee on Gas forfurther legislative work.