KINGSTON, Jamaica – When the House of Representatives meets at 2:00 pm on Thursday, it will be an unusually packed agenda for what will be the first sitting of the new parliamentary year.

Earlier on Thursday, the ceremonial opening of the Parliament, along with the Throne Speech delivered by the Governor General would have taken place.

Traditionally, the Estimates of Expenditure for the new financial year is tabled during what is usually a brief afternoon sitting. And, while Thursday’s sitting could be brief, what is noteworthy is what is on the agenda.

The agenda items include a Bill entitled The Firearms (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 2022, which will be tabled and referred to a Select Committee. The Government has signalled that the penalties for the possession of an illegal firearm, which features in more than 80 per cent of murders each year, will be significantly increased. The fact that the Bill will be tabled on the first day of the new parliamentary year is an indication of the seriousness that the government is taking gun crimes.

The Jamaica Teaching Council Act 2022, which was recently tabled, will also be referred to a Select Committee.

As is customary, the Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year [2022/23] and related documents will be referred to the Standing Finance Committee of the House.

Also on the House agenda is the ‘Extension of Period of Operation Order’ for three of the seven Zones of Special Operations [ZOSOs].

These are the Denham Town and Greenwich Town ZOSOs in St Andrew and the Mount Salem ZOSO in St James.