A taste of things to come

Abstract

In response to a recent Parliamentary Question, the Prime Minister recently tabled a list of 51 Outside Development Zone (ODZ) applications that were destined for refusal but which have been given a second lease of life in view of the imminent, and preposterous, changes to ODZ policies. Delving into these 51 applications gives a foretaste into what’s in the offing once the said ODZ policies are revised. Twenty of these 51 applications propose sanctioning and, as they fall squarely within Schedule VI, they would be subject to outright refusal since, as of late 2012, no ODZ sanctioning is permitted. Some of the sanctioning applications refer to trivial issues, while others are definitely more serious.