LEGISLATION WATCH- Parliament’s Housing Committee is discussing legislation that would provide a framework for the government to settle building code violations with building owners and developers, Al Masry Al Youm reports. Housing Ministry inspectors are expected to attend today’s hearing on the law, which will have a limited mandate of three months and apply only to buildings that have already been constructed, Housing Minister Mostafa Madbouly told the committee yesterday. The restricted time frame is meant to eliminate a loophole that would allow violations to continue occurring in the future, Madbouly added. Under the law, building owners will be required to submit a settlement request to a specialized committee during the three-month window. Parliament has yet to decide whether the payment will be a lump sum or added to the building’s utility bills. It is not clear what procedures developers have to take for their buildings to comply with regulations. The Unified Building Code is also under discussion at the House.

In other legislative news, the Ismail Cabinet referred yesterday a draft law to set up the Supreme Authority for Upper Egypt Development to the House of Representatives for approval, according to a statement. Cabinet had signed off on the legislation — which would mandate the authority with drafting a holistic strategy for the economic, social, and urban development of regional areas — earlier this month.

Cabinet is also gearing up to send a draft law on solid waste management to the House before the end of the month, an Environment Ministry official tells Youm7. The law — which should be issued in 3-6 months’ time — is expected to create a national authority for sanitation and waste management to help regulate the sector.

…Finally, the executive regulations to the controversial NGOs law issued in 2016 should be out before the end of June, government sources tell Al Borsa.