Parliament passes amendment allowing residential townships in SEZs

Parliament has passed a bill amending the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act to allow residential townships to be included within SEZs.

The bill, submitted by Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau on behalf of the government, was approved by 46 of the 56 members present, with 10 of the 12 opposition MDP members voting against it.

To expedite consideration, the committee conducted a review of the bill in a committee-of-the-whole session yesterday. Although some MDP members proposed motions, none were passed, and the report was adopted with minimal debate.

The amendment represents the biggest change to the SEZ Act since its enactment, expanding the types of areas that can be designated as SEZs.

Previously, under Article 20, only industrial zones could qualify. The amendment introduces a new category called “sustainable township”, which allows areas to be developed for integrated tourism and real estate projects, managed under a single administrative framework.