GROWTH ON RADAR

Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has affirmed that the Government blueprint, to be presented at the Parliament today, would represent a political, economic, social and security roadmap that aimed at promoting stability.

Chairing the Cabinet meeting in the presence of Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Premier pointed out that the blueprint aimed at achieving justice and rule of law “and pave the way for increasing economic growth”.

Prince Khalifa said, it would also upgrade the standard of living of the citizens through high-quality services that keep abreast of changes in education, health, housing and effective social care, organise the labour market, and would provide an advanced infrastructure that meet the requirements of economic growth and sustainable resources management.

The Cabinet also discussed the final text of the Government action plan for 2015-2018, expressing hope that it would embody constructive cooperation with the legislative branch.

PM CALLS FOR SELF-AUDITING

Prime Minister HRH Prince, Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has urged the ministries and Government bodies to continue the process of self-auditing to protect public money from being wasted or squandered.

Chairing the Cabinet meeting in presence of Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HRH the Premier praised the crucial role of the annual report of National Audit Office (NAO) in monitoring administrative and financial practices and preserving public money.

The Prime Minister hailed NAO and described it as  an independent constitutional body and one of the fruits of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s national project.

Prince Khalifa chairs the Cabinet meeting. 

The Premier directed all ministries and Government departments to rectify the irregularities featuring in NAO’s annual report and tasked the executive committee, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince to investigate the substantial remarks and recommendations made by NAO in its 2013-2014 report.

‘Follow up on the needs of Isa Town’

The Premier directed the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry to follow up on the needs of Isa Town regarding services, facilities, roads and infrastructure.

He also instructed the Housing Ministry to take into account the requirements of Al Hamala citizens in the second phase of the Al Hamala Housing Project into account, and strike a balance between the need to preserve the social fabric of regions and the date on which applications were submitted.

PM wishes Saudi  King a speedy recovery

HRH the Premier wished the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud a speedy recovery so that he could continue serving the Saudi people and the Arab and Islamic nations.

The Premier recalled with appreciation the crucial and pioneering role played by King Abdulla in GCC, Arab and Islamic arenas, and landmark contributions to enhancing joint Arab action, and consolidating unity among Arab countries.

Cabinet hails Pak PM’s visit

Cabinet welcomed the forthcoming visit of the Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammed Nawaz Sharif to the Kingdom.

It praised the role of the visit in bolstering bilateral cooperation, expressing hope that the visit will strengthen the outstanding friendly relations.

Other Cabinet decisions

• Premier directed to address the issue of personnel surplus and job expansion in departments and instructed the Committee for Controlling and Rationalising Expenditures and Enhancing Income and Productivity, chaired by Deputy Premier Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, to deal with the issue in order to reduce expenses.
• Cabinet reviewed a memo presented by the Housing Minister on amending the housing system in order to expand the eligibility criteria and benefit more citizens, and referred it to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs for further study.
•  Cabinet approved the Saudi standards regarding the importation and manufacturing of air-conditioners to be sold in Bahrain, and requested the Industry and Commerce Ministry to take the necessary procedures.
• Cabinet endorsed nine Memoranda of understanding signed with Malaysia on environment, and control over precious metals and pearls.

They also included cooperation in consumer complaints, development of industrial zones, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, standardisation and quality in electricity, water, renewable energy, and agricultural and livestock.