Bahrain-India Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons

The Cabinet today praised a keynote address by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during a meeting with His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.

While chairing today's Cabinet session at Gudaibiya Palace, the Prime Minister welcomed the directives issued by His Majesty the King regarding the latest regional political and economic developments, and the challenges they have created.

According to a statement made by the Cabinet Secretary-General Dr Yaser bin Essa Al-Nasser following the session, the Cabinet extended a warm welcome to the Kingdom’s visitors who will be attending the upcoming Bahrain International Air Show 2016. The Cabinet instructed the relevant ministries and state departments to ensure the event and its associated events are conducted efficiently and effectively, in cooperation with the BIAS Supreme Organising Committee.

The Cabinet then extended congratulations to the winners of the 2015 UNESCO-King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education, and highlighted the importance of the prize and its crucial role in encouraging ICT initiatives.

Regarding the government's continuous efforts to rationalise public expenditure, the Prime Minister issued directives to regulate the benefits and privileges granted to ministers and senior officials, and reduce spending on official government missions. The Prime Minister requested that the Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs and Rationalising Expenditure and the Civil Service Bureau submit proposals in line with his instructions.

The Prime Minister gave directives regarding the revitalisation of the coastal area on Al Ghous Highway, located between the Shaikh Isa Causeway and Shaikh Hamad Causeway, to increase tourism, boost family recreation and serve the needs of the area’s fishermen. The Ministerial Committee for Urbanisation and Infrastructure was asked to conduct a study on the development.

The session then reviewed ways to boost trade activities in order to improve economic activity. In this regard, the Prime Minister praised the private sector’s contribution to the commercial and economic progress within the Kingdom. He also commended the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (BCCI) role in representing the trade community and the private sector. The Prime Minister paid similar tribute to the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism’s implementation of government policies and its support to the BCCI.

Regarding security matters, the Cabinet took note of a draft edict presented by the Minister of Interior regarding a number of rules regulating the travel of Bahraini citizens, particularly to dangerous areas with armed conflicts. 

An additional memorandum was presented by the Minister of Interior regarding fees levied on foreign goods, in accordance with the international agreements and conventions signed by the Kingdom, and in line with the provisions of Decree-Law 11/1985. The memorandum was referred to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.

The committee will also study a memorandum presented by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism on the Unified System (Law) for Consumer Protection in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, approved by the 36th GCC Supreme Council Summit. The law aims to provide maximum protection for consumers and strike a balance between the interests of consumers and those of the trade sector.

Four memoranda of understanding (MoU), signed between Bahrain and Tunisia, and reviewed by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs, were also endorsed. The MoUs relate to cooperation between the Central Bank of Bahrain and its Tunisian counterpart, as well as cooperation in electricity and water, environmental protection and health.

The session then approved the Bahrain-India Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons, following its legal review by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.

The session discussed four proposals submitted by the Council of Representatives, and approved the government's replies to them as recommended by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.

The proposals include the establishment of services for fishermen, services for the elderly and people with special needs, services for retirees in Muharraq's sixth constituency, and a social and cultural centre in bloc 207 in Muharraq.