Parliament
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Stern Says National Building Code Coming
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KINGSTON (JIS):
Thursday, July 09, 2009
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The Bureau of Standards of Jamaica (BSJ) has teamed with the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE), to provide technical support in facilitating the development of a national building code.
"This is necessary in order to regulate and control the design, construction, quality of materials and maintenance of our buildings, to ensure that any threat to life, health and welfare of occupants and the public is minimised or prevented," Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Michael Stern, has said.
"The Department of Local Government in the Office of the Prime Minister will be responsible for enforcing the code under a new Jamaica Building Code Act, expected to be passed by the Houses of Parliament later this year," Mr. Stern added.
He was making his contribution to the 2009/10 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (July 8).
He said that, to date, nine out of 11 building code documents have been completed, including the Jamaican application document for: international energy conservation code; international maintenance code; international existing building code; international fire code; international private sewage disposal code; international building code; international property maintenance code; international plumbing code; and the international fuel gas code.
He also said that there was a need to get all the necessary legislation in place to treat intellectual property as a major priority.
Instructions for the drafting of regulations to accompany the various Acts, such as the Copyright Act, the Patents and Designs Act and the Geographical Indications Act, have been submitted to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.
"We are anxiously looking towards the regulations being revised and passed," Mr. Stern said.
The Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) administers the international property laws now in force, and has the job of ensuring the drafting, reviewing, amending and enacting of the country's intellectual property legislation.
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