A solid support for urban development

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

All of the municipal projects aim to increase the per capita share of green spaces in Bahrain in line with the internationally approved standard by the World Health Organisation.

They also seek to increase the density and number of trees, enhance the aesthetic shape of the Kingdom, improve air quality, and provide the necessary shade to reduce rise in temperature. The municipal projects also include the establishment and development of eight markets.

All these projects will be built on a development area of 1.2 million square metres. Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa emphasised the government is committed to supporting urban development with pioneering projects that are implemented according to best practices.

HH Shaikh Khalid commended the remarkable partnership between the public and private sectors, thanks to the flexibility of long-term contracting and the quality of competitive options offered by municipal affairs to invest in their projects.

The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned in particular the operation and management of popular and central municipal markets distributed over the various regions of the Kingdom, and leasing owned lands to establish parks and recreational projects and commercial complexes, among others.

“The esteemed government has been able to translate its national policies that support the concept of urban development locally, through pioneering projects supervised and implemented by municipal affairs in accordance with the best practices gained from the long accumulated experience of more than a century, which was strengthened by joint coordination with the Capital Municipality and municipal councils,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

“The elected representatives, which are one of the pillars of the reform project, launch community initiatives at the level of individuals and the private sector.

Their projects aim to raise the social and living standards for all residents, and support the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve a sustainable healthy environment for all.” His Excellency added: “The financial model used in municipal affairs has proven successful in terms of its ability to achieve what is known as self-financing for new and existing municipal projects alike, by allocating budgets during one financial cycle in favour of establishing, maintaining and developing parks, beautifying intersections and main streets, and establishing walking tracks, waterfronts, coasts and other projects, which reflects the extent to which the revenues generated from municipal services fees enjoy good management, investment and efficiency in collection.”