KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 22
The Animal Health and Livestock Service Entrepreneurs' Council Act, 2022 came into force with its publication in the Nepal Gazette last week. The Act aims to operate the animal health and livestock service business in a systematic and dignified manner.
The act proposes the establishment of an 18-member Animal Health and Livestock Service Entrepreneurs' Council led by a person from among registered second class animal health and livestock service entrepreneurs with at least five years of experience in the related field. The office of the council will be situated in Kathmandu valley. The council, the first of this kind, will comprise members, including women, in a proportional representation system from all seven provinces and related universities.
Any person convicted of criminal offences, involved in moral turpitude and those on the blacklist as per the law or who have lost mental balance will not be eligible to be appointed chairperson or member of the council. The functions, duties and powers of the council are to formulate necessary policies, plans and programmes for development of animal health and livestock service business systematically and effectively and submit the same to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development for approval; implement the policies, plans and programmes approved by the government; provide suggestions to the MoALD to ensure the quality of animal products, animal breeding, and animal husbandry; and determine the qualification of animal health and livestock service entrepreneurs.
Similarly, the council will provide certificate to entrepreneurs on the basis of their qualification, prepare and implement code of ethics for them, develop policy related to curricula for educational institutions, provide education in animal health and livestock service business, and initiate action against entrepreneurs who violate the code of conduct and other terms and conditions.
This act stipulates a provision that restricts an individual from carrying out animal health and livestock service business without getting registered with the council. For this, the concerned entrepreneur will have to submit an application along with prescribed documents and certificate of educational qualification to the council. However, entrepreneurs who are already registered with the Nepal Veterinary Council need not register with the proposed council.
If an entrepreneur is convicted for crimes likes corruption, rape, human trafficking, drug smuggling, money laundering, misuse of passport, kidnapping and other heinous crimes, his/her registration with the council will be automatically cancelled. The act has also proposed that animal health and livestock service entrepreneurs will be categorised into four classes - A, B, C, and D according to their educational qualification and work experience.
The council may also conduct examinations for the registration of entrepreneurs so as to maintain their quality. Any person who fails to make it through the test, will not be eligible to acquire certificate from the council. Similarly, there will be a separate fund of the council and its final audit will be conducted by the Office of the Auditor General. If any person violates the provisions mentioned in the act, he/she will be liable to a fine not exceeding Rs 50,000 or a jail sentence of up to six months or both.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 23, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
