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House: healthcare changes, pensions and customs breaks

A marathon session at the House of Assembly is expected for legislators today with a string of healthcare, pensions and customs relief Bills on the order sheet.

The supplementary estimates adding up to a $25 million package of social service investments, brought by David Burt to the House last week for the Premier’s midyear Budget review, will be discussed.

MPs will also debate the lease for a Google subsidiary’s transatlantic cable station at Southside.

The House will debate the creation of a new electricity licence, the Bulk Generation Sole Use Installation Licence, allowing entities using renewable energy to power themselves above a threshold of 500 kilowatts.

Pensions legislation on the orders include a Contributory Pensions Order raising seniors’ benefits by 2.4 per cent in keeping with inflation — along with regulations allowing first-time homeowners to dip into their pension schemes towards the purchase of their first home.

Legislation to retroactively dissolve the 2018 Tax Reform Commission and retroactively appoint the 2023 commission is up for debate.

Two temporary customs duty relief packages will go before MPs.

Customs breaks applying separately to hotels and for restaurants, both approved for up to this year, will be extended to March 31, 2029.

On the health front, regulations requiring doctors to get permission from the Bermuda Health Council for medical technology deemed “high risk” will go before MPs.

The House will debate the creation of “a managed fund to strengthen the health system in Bermuda”, as well as legislation updating the island’s health service provider licensing with the Bermuda Health Council.

In addition, the Companies and Limited Liability Company Amendment Act 2024 will remove “the requirement for companies and limited liability companies to obtain the consent of the Minister of Finance for certain landholding for a term up to 21 years”.

Bills passed in the House are expected to go before the Senate in a sitting of the Upper House on Monday.

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Published September 27, 2024 at 8:00 am (Updated September 26, 2024 at 7:42 pm)

House: healthcare changes, pensions and customs breaks

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