Parliamentary Committee, Geological Society of Uganda pledge support for the Earth Scientists Registration Board Bill

Parliamentary Committee, Geological Society of Uganda pledge support for the Earth Scientists Registration Board Bill

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) says the Earth Scientists Registration Board Bill will bring reforms and strengthen the legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks to cater for emerging issues arising in the minerals sub-sector.

In her message delivered by Ms Grace Tusiime, the undersecretary at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), Pauline Irene Bateebe, the Permanent Secretary said; ‘’It brings credibility because we have already realized it is for earth scientists .They are professionals, trained, they have experience and competences. For them to know that they have competences they must be registered ‘’, said Tusiime.

She was speaking during the closure of a three day national stakeholders’ meeting on the Earth Scientists Registration Board Bill at Fairway Hotel in Kampala. The meeting organized by the geological survey department of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development brought together key stakeholders in the earth sciences sector to discuss the proposed bill and its implications.

The geoscientists include geochemists, geodesists, geologists, geophysicists, mine geologists, oceanographers, oceanologists, petroleum geologists and petrologists among others, therefore the proposed bill will benefit geoscientists, the public and investors.

Kumi District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Christine Apolot who represented the Chairperson of the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources (ENRC) expressed parliament’s commitment to ensuring that the bill is passed into law.

‘’As members of parliament of the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources we are making a commitment on behalf of the 42 members that we shall be behind this bill , we shall support this bill ‘’, she said appealing to the ministry to keep them updated.

On behalf of the Geological Society of Uganda (GSU), Kasakya Elizefani, the president of the society, the bill will provide a good regulatory framework and ensure that professionals handle mineral certification, value addition, mineral revenue management and the formalization of artisanal and small-scale miners among others.

Dr Fred Alex Tugume, the Commissioner Geological Survey department in the MEMD, says after the draft they will present it to the top management and then to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MoJCA).

‘’We have that we shall have this before the end of this calendar year, if we finish we send it to the cabinet for further decision’’, added Tugume.

Earth scientists are generally professionals who specialize in the study of the earth and its neighbours in space. The professions include many applications such as the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), computer modeling, geology and geophysics.

These scientists extensively use their knowledge of the earth to locate and develop energy and mineral resources and also detect volcanoes, earthquakes and hurricanes, therefore, helping communities avoid dangerous exposure. Earth science professions include but are not limited to geology, meteorology, astronomy and oceanography.

In Uganda, the earth scientists are regulated under Geological Society of Uganda (GSU). GSU will soon metamorphose into the Earth Scientists Registration Board (ESRB).

Earth scientists have over the years appealed to the government of Uganda to recognize them like their colleagues under the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) and the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE).