‘Exempt workers of societies for disabled from LMRA fees’

A parliamentarian has submitted a proposal to exempt workers of societies for disabled and rehabilitation centres from Labour Market and Regulatory Authority (LMRA) fees.     

MP Abdullah Al Thawadi yesterday submitted the proposal, which he says aims to protect the interest of disabled individuals in the country. He said that societies working for disabled and rehabilitation centres must be exempted from labour market fees so that they are not financially burdened.

“The proposal is aimed to reduce the financial burden on societies and rehabilitation centres for disabled. These organisations have very limited budget and are struggling with so many different fees.” Parliamentarians are also in efforts to erase the burden of electricity and water bills from societies that support the differently-abled.

According to a proposal by a group of MPs, the societies should be completely exempted from paying the utility bills. “The welfare of the special needs population of the country is of great interest to the Kingdom. Enabling their care could mean supporting the societies that support the disabled,” the explanatory note of the proposal stated. 

“Exemption from the electricity and water bills for these societies will directly benefit the people with special needs,” the note stated. Reportedly, senior MPs including Parliament Speaker Fawzia Zainal has signed the proposal. A number of societies supporting special needs citizens have welcomed the move, stating that such a step would greatly help them. The burden of high electricity and water bills have been the hot topic of discussion in recent weeks.

Citizens and residents have complained that the utility bills this year have been extremely high, especially in the past few months. Mr Al Thawadhi also urged the government  to study the high number of shop closures in Bahrain. He said that the increase in electricity and water prices may be the reason behind shop closures. 

He also added that the increase in electricity and water prices comes at a time when the economy has taken a downturn.  The lawmaker urged the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism to study the issue and find a remedy. However, there are no official numbers regarding how many shops have been closed down due to high electricity bills.