Legislative Backing Research Articles

Issues in environmental management for sustainable development in nigeria

In Nigeria, an increased level of consciousness is observable with regard to the complex relationship that exists between development and the quality of the environment. However, there remains much to be done by way of actually developing the mechanism and legislative backing for reconciling environmental imperatives with developmental goals. Nigeria, like many other developing countries, is beset with such environmental problems as desertification, deterioration of urban physical quality, land degradation, deforestation, soil erosion, and flooding. It has been established that these problems emanate mainly from human activities created in the quest to achieve a higher level of development. The implication is that sufficient precautions have not been taken to balance development objectives against the need to maintain desirable environmental quality.

The council for religious affairs and the shaping of soviet religious policy

THE SOVIET PO DELAM RELIGII-Council for Religious Affairs (CRA)-attached to the USSR Council of Ministers is a strangely elusive body. Few nowadays, and this includes CRA spokesmen, dispute the traditional dissident complaint that over recent decades it has actively and illegitimately interfered in the internal life of religious organisations. Nor would they question the assumption that this body is not the major institution responsible for the formulation of religious policy in the USSR. Yet in practice we know little about its inner workings or role in the shaping of that policy. Only in 1975 was the Council's place in the implementation of religious policy given published legislative backing and even then it was clear that its statute failed to reflect the CRA's extensive involvement in controlling institutional religious life in the USSR. This article seeks to shed further light on the work of the Council for Religious Affairs through an examination not only of its formal structure and the functions it performs, but also by trying to unravel its various institutional allegiances and relationships within the political system. More importantly, we shall examine the extent to which it participates in the policy-making process, and in so doing qualify somewhat the traditional view that the CRA simply carries out policy made elsewhere. A study of the CRA is particularly timely in so far as the new law on freedom of conscience passed by the USSR Supreme Soviet on 1 October 1990 envisages the replacement of the Council in its present form. The evolution of the Council for Religious Affairs Even before 1917 the autocratic state had sought to maintain close controls over religious life in the Russian Empire, and this political control of religion was institutionalised by Peter the Great as part of his thorough overhaul of Russia's political structures and societal relations. The 'Ecclesiastical Regulation' (1721) placed control of the Orthodox Church in the hands of a Ruling Synod presided over by an Oberprokuror appointed by the Tsar. Consequently, as one historian has pointed out:

Material Certification Of Oilfield Well Control Equipment For Critical Sour Service Applications

Abstract Metallic components used in sour environments are susceptible to failure from sulphide stress cracking (SSC). Material recommendations and restrictions are intended to reduce the risk of ssc. The Blowout Prevention Review Committee (BPRC) formulated a series of documents entitled Alberta Recommended Practices (ARP). ARP contains very specific guidelines for well control equipment for drilling critical sour wells. Attempts to certify these components have found some items of non-conformance and significant problems with required documentation. One operator in an attempt to detail and assist the drilling contractor and rental companies is preparing a specification to outline their requirements for acceptable documentation and testing methods in order to qualify equipment for critical sour gas work. This specification, which encompasses the ARP requirements, offers a practical approach to certification and testing of well control equipment inc/riding BOP stacks, manifolds, valves and piping. The requirements of ARP as well as, the critical sour well control equipment specification will be presented. Introduction NACE Standard MR-01–75 "Sulphide Stress Cracking Resistant Metallic Materials for Oil Field Equipment"(l) provides a list of materials at hardness levels that are considered resistant to sulphide stress cracking (SSC) in pressurized H2S bearing environments. Under direction from the Blowout Prevention Review Committee (BPRC), an additional document entitled the Alberta Recommended Practices (ARP)(2), was developed to complement existing standards and specifications by providing greater detail to Alberta's drilling industry. The ARP exclusively addresses critical sour wells as defined by the ERCB Interim Directive ID 87–2, "Sour Well Licensing and Drilling Requirements". The ARP document outlines an excellent approach towards achieving provincial-wide quality control for drilling critical sour wells. The next step is to heighten industry awareness of the recommendations. Because ARP currently has no legislative backing, enforcement is typically left up to the operators. Over the next few years, many of the operators will include these recommendations in proprietary specifications thereby substituting the word recommended with required. Conformance would often be assured by an audit of the equipment and documentation. Unfortunately, enforcement of these recommendations can be particularly onerous to the drilling contractors and equipment rental companies. There is a definite time and cost barrier to overcome with respect to certification of existing equipment, however new equipment can be purchased with sufficient documentation to ensure conformance. The purchaser must specify what documentation is required (mill certificates, weld procedures, inspection reports), otherwise the documents will not arrive with the equipment. Maintaining complete certification also requires traceable record keeping. Naturally drilling contractors and rental companies with suitable documentation in place will be in the best position to offer a competitive bid. The cost and effort required to certify existing equipment can be somewhat alleviated by proper record keeping and a better understanding of what is actually required. Often effort is expended in one direction while more severe problems remain unattended. For instance, repetitive testing could be eliminated by proper record keeping. Another problem is the use of inappropriate testing equipment due to a lack of awareness with respect to accuracy and limitations. During audits of equipment documentation, many deficiencies and problem areas have been noted. A

SMALL BUSINESS IN MALAYSIA: POLICIES AND PROBLEMS

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the importance of the small-business sector in Malaysia relative to its contribution to the economic growth of the country. The Government, having realized the potential of this sector, seems to have introduced numerous schemes to support and expand the small-business sector. In its enthusiasm, the Government has encouraged nine Ministries and more than 30 Government and quasi-government departments to participate in the small-business assistance schemes. The end result of this maze of schemes is that there is a great deal of overlap, little co-ordination and an overall inefficient allocation of scarce resources. The paper provides suggestions as to how this “maze” could be sorted out and the entire small-business assistance scheme structure re-organized. It is recommended that a central authority (with legislative backing) be established such that the activities of the various Government and quasi-government departments can be co-ordinated and channelled efficiently to the t...

Auditing Industrial Performance: India's Experience

The government has given legislative backing to a system of cost audit, using a basic cost accounting format and recording rules. It has been applied so far to a range of industrial products in the essential consumer category, as a way of improving industrial performance. This experience, over 20 years, is reviewed. The process is likely to be extended, using improved procedures and possibly inter‐firm comparison. It is a form of external regulation and monitoring, using an audit approach, which — it is suggested — apart from enabling government to monitor performance, has also helped to make industry more professional.

Diseases of Sugarcane — a Review

Abstract Cane supplies over 60% of the world's commercial sugar. Technologically the industry is highly organised but diseases are a recurrent problem. Ratoon stunting disease is especially serious. Leaf scald (Xanthomonas albilineans) and smut (Ustilago scitaminea) are also important at the moment because of their potential for damage and their ability to cross quarantine boundaries. Red stripe (Pseudomonas rubrilineans), deterioration of harvested cane, eye spot (Drechslera sacchari), pineapple disease (Ceratocystis paradoxa), red rot Glomerella tumucanensis, yellow spot (Cercospora koepkei). Fiji (virus) and mosaic (virus), are other diseases which can also cause economic losses. The effective control of disease needs legislative backing, effective field work in surveying for disease, obtaining clean plants etc., plus suitably resistant varieties. A typical, large, clean-plant scheme is at present in operation in southern Queensland against Fiji disease.