Bahrain fights global inflation

TDT | Manama                           

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, yesterday issued a directive to help low-income families in the face of global inflation.

HRH Prince Salman directed the concerned authorities and the Ministry of Social Development to disburse an additional month of financial support for them for January 2023.

This came as His Royal Highness yesterday chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting at Gudaibiya Palace. He also directed the concerned government authorities to develop urgent plans and procedures to stabilise prices and ensure the availability of commodities.

HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister also ordered the temporary suspension of industrial land fees for food storage facilities for three months; the temporary suspension of approvals and fees required by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for supermarkets to run promotional campaigns for three months; and the intensification of inspection campaigns to monitor prices in local markets.

Outcomes

The Cabinet commended the outcomes of the fifth session of the Bahraini-Jordanian Joint Higher Committee meeting, which was co-chaired by HRH Prince Salman and the Minister of Defence of Jordan, Dr Bisher Al Khasawneh.

The Cabinet highlighted the agreements that were signed during the meeting, which will contribute to enhancing bilateral partnerships across trade and commerce, labour and vocational training, healthcare, youth, education, information, and sea and air freight services.

The Cabinet declared Thursday, 2 February, a half workday at ministries and state departments, to mark National Sports Day, which will be dedicated to emphasising the importance of sports and to allow staff to engage in sports events.

On the occasion of Diplomatic Day, which is observed annually in Bahrain on 14 January, the Cabinet commended the achievements made by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the diplomatic field, which have strengthened Bahrain’s international standing and contributed to the development of its relations with various countries that share the goals of ensuring security and stability, in enhancing development at a global level.

The Cabinet congratulated the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education for winning the Arab Government Excellence Awards.

The Cabinet commended the achievements of the ministries and government agencies, for winning awards for excellence in government work at local, regional and international levels.

Cabinet reviews government priority projects

The Cabinet reviewed a memorandum submitted by the Government Executive Committee on the implementation of the Government Priorities Framework 3.1. The Cabinet directed the ministries, each in its respective capacity, to develop the implementation plan for the remaining 16 projects within the GPF 3.1, aimed at achieving financial sustainability and securing a supportive environment for development.

It also reviewed the progress of a number of development initiatives for electricity and water services, including measures that have been taken to address the gathering of rainfall in certain areas.

In this regard, the Cabinet commended the efforts made by the concerned authorities, led by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture and the Ministry of Works. The Cabinet discussed several memorandums during the meeting with the following outcomes: The approval of the following memorandum:

1- A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft decision outlining which governmental health facilities are subject to the health insurance law.

2- A memorandum by the Minister of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs regarding the acquisition of real estate for public use to provide the necessary spaces for urban development. The Cabinet then took note of the ministerial reports regarding the visit of the GCC Secretary General’s to Bahrain and the visit of the Minister of Sustainable Development to Saudi Arabia.