Proposal to compensate local butchers rejected

Manama : The Government yesterday rejected a parliamentary proposal to compensate local butchers for the losses borne after implementing the meat subsidy redirection decision at the end of 2015.

Following intense discussions among MPs during the past year, the proposal was urgently passed to the government in a bid to improve the financial situations of local butchers.

However, the government in its reply yesterday considered the proposal as “unjust” to other professions.

“Butchers’ work is commercial. They are traders. If they are compensated because of the economic changes or amendments of governmental subsidy plans, traders of other professions will demand the same,” Shura Council and Representative Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain yesterday said in a letter addressed to the council.

The minister also mentioned that “the proposal didn’t specify the type, amount, cost or period of the compensations”, adding that “it’s difficult to determine the financial burdens it may create on the State’s budget, especially during the current tough financial situations”.

It’s noteworthy that meat subsidies were scrapped in October 2015. Subsidised commodities like meat, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, electricity and water were redirected to benefit certain categories, mainly Bahraini citizens.

Since then, Labour and Social Development Ministry introduced an initiative to compensate citizens by depositing allowances of BD5, BD3.5 and BD2.5 into their bank accounts every three months. Beneficiaries are categorised according to their age groups.