Bill Watch 57/2019 Update on Parliamentary Sittings 22 to 24 October 2019 7 November 2019 25th October 2019 declared a public holiday SI 221B/2019 [link] – the President's declaration in terms of the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act that Friday 25th October would be a public holiday "for the national expression of opposition to the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by certain countries". 25th October Legal practitioners – GZU law degree recognised SI 222/2019 [link] – Legal Practitioners (Designated Legal Qualifications) (Amendment) Notice – this SI by the Council for Legal Education adds the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree of Great Zimbabwe University to the list of "designated legal qualifications" for admission to the legal profession. Law degrees from the University of Zimbabwe and Midlands State University are already listed. Collective bargaining agreements SI 223/2019 [link] – Insurance Industry – a cushioning allowance [100% of existing package of wage and allowances] for July, August and September 2019. This increases the minimum package for the lowest grade to RTGS$ 907 [approximately US$ 135]. SI 224/2019 [link] – Commercial Sectors – increased minimum wages for May 2019 to April 2020 by 50%. The minimum wage for the lowest grade goes up from RTGS$ 261 to RTGS$ 392 [approximately US$ 45]. Public Service Vehicles – New licence and other fees SI 225/2019 [link] – this SI enacts a new Fourth Schedule ["Fees"] for the Road Motor Transportation (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations of 1998 [fees for foreign public service vehicle operators are in US$, and for Zimbabwean operators are in ZWL$]. Customs duty suspensions SI 226/2019 [link] – amendments, backdated to 1st January 2019, affecting the existing suspensions of duty for (1) specified fertilisers for the 2018-19 summer cropping season (2) buses imported by approved tour operators for use in the tourism industry. SI 229/2019 [link] – an addition to the already long list of mining locations qualifying for 3-year suspensions, under section 9K of the principal regulations. The section provides for suspension of duty on goods imported for mine development operations on mines specified in statutory instruments such as this. Income tax exemption & VAT refunds for Huawei Technologies Co. SI 227/2019 [link] and SI 228/2019 [link], both made by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and both backdated to 25th August 2014, give effect to the Framework Agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe and the Export-Import Bank of China ["the Bank"]. They confer taxation privileges for the purposes of NetOne Cellular (Private) Limited and TelOne