Nod for private sector to invest in gardens

A proposal to allow private sector companies to invest in gardens was approved by the Southern Governorate.         

The proposal aims to assist in the development of gardens in the governorate.

Head of Southern Municipal Council, Badel Al Tamimi said that stronger co-operation with private sector can yield fruitful results.

He added that such a collaboration can also lead to advancing Bahrain's sustainability goals. 

The authorities are also considering a plan to impose fees on using restrooms at all public parks across the Kingdom by this year.

It is believed that the new measure, if implemented, would generate hundreds of thousands of Bahraini dinars that would cover for the maintenance of the facilities in the parks.

A source in Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry, told Tribune on grounds of anonymity, that the plan will include all public parks and gardens in the Kingdom, and it aims to combat the negligence and misuse of such facilities, and cover the huge budgets annually spent on their maintenance.

The source revealed that the Capital General Secretariat spends BD75,000-BD100,000 annually for the maintenance of 60 parks in the Capital Governorate.

The maintenance works include revamping the restrooms, playgrounds and the other facilities in these parks.

Paving the road to implement the new plan at all four governorates, Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf recently approved a proposal presented by Muharraq Municipal Council to privatise the facilities in public parks and gardens in Muharraq Governorate, and to impose certain fees to benefit the budget of the municipality and compensate the maintenance expenses.