MP pushes for national planning commission tied to Cabinet

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Plans to create a national commission to coordinate Bahrain’s long-, medium- and short-term strategies were laid before Parliament by MP Mohammed Yousif Al Ma’arafi, in a bid to strengthen state planning against fast-moving regional and global shifts.

The proposal calls for the setting up of the National Commission for Integrated Strategic Planning, a single body that would oversee the drawing up of comprehensive plans for the country.

It would be tied directly to the Cabinet to sharpen coordination and improve the carrying out of decisions.

In his supporting note, Al Ma’arafi said the commission would work with government ministries and the private sector to draft a full national plan.

Policies

It would shape policies grounded in evidence, keep a watch over the government’s performance, and report regularly to the Cabinet.

He said the commission would also help different sectors pull together, from health and education to security, the economy, the environment and technology.

It would build models to predict future crises and set up a central database and national information centre.

Among the aims set out in the proposal are better use of public funds, steering investment into areas that match the country’s needs, making sure that all groups in society are taken into account, backing major policy decisions, and quickening the country’s drive towards sustainable growth.

Board of trustees

Al Ma’arafi’s plan would see a board of trustees formed, made up of the ministers of finance and national economy; works; health; housing and urban planning; and education, along with private sector representatives to strengthen the link between the two sides.

An executive council would bring together specialists from different fields, while new centres would be created to study the economy, social policy, food security, digital advances, and future planning.