Manama, September 27 (BNA) His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired today the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers at Al-Qudaibiya Palace.
The Cabinet congratulated His Highness the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister on receiving the C3 Leadership Award granted by the 2021 C3 American-Arab Healthcare and Business Summit.
The award came in recognition of the leadership of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister in many fields, as well as His Highness’ efforts in combating COVID-19 and strengthening Bahraini-US relations.
His Highness expressed his gratitude to officials in government agencies, constitutional institutions, diplomats, members of various embassies, members of municipal councils and officials in private companies, as well as citizens and residents who expressed their congratulations on this award.
His Highness stressed that the award honors everyone, including the Bahrain team’s efforts in transforming challenges into opportunities and advancing comprehensive development in the Kingdom under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The Cabinet congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its National Day, praising its comprehensive development, prosperity and progress, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, the Council of Ministers discussed several memoranda with the following results:
Agree to the following notes:
1- A memorandum from the government executive committee on the progress of the implemented programs within the framework of the government’s priorities until September 2021, and the executive plans of the projects within its third edition, which aim to achieve financial sustainability and secure a supportive environment for development. .
2- Memorandum of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding four memoranda of understanding between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel. The MoU aims to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of sports, innovation and development in water resources, environmental protection, nature and habitat conservation, medical services and research.
3- The memorandum of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding granting the State of Israel sovereignty over its data stored in Bahrain regarding the provision of cloud computing services to foreign parties.
4- The memorandum of the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance regarding the review of the performance of the financial balance program since its launch in 2018, and the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic on the financial and economic situation. As well as the options considered to achieve a financial balance between government expenditures and revenues.
The Cabinet praised the role of the legislative authority in maintaining social support for deserving citizens, and stressed the importance of continuing joint work to enhance financial stability.
It was also agreed to advance constitutional and legal procedures to refer a draft law amending some provisions of the Value Added Tax Law to the legislative authority, which includes an amendment to the value added percentage as of January 1, 2022.
5- The memorandum of the Minister of Finance and National Economy regarding the logistics plan of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which includes the strategic objectives of the sector, the future plan for air freight at Bahrain International Airport, and the launch of *the global sea to the air hub* in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
6- A memorandum from the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism regarding the recognition of a number of countries as global partners of the Global Sea-to-Air Center launched in the Kingdom of Bahrain, allowing companies based in these countries to apply for accreditation as a global partner. The authorized operator of this service. The advantages of the service include moving goods between sea and air ports in no more than two hours, enhancing freight speeds and reducing competitive costs.
7- A memorandum by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning regarding the sea reclamation line within Nabih Saleh Island.
The Cabinet reviewed the following topics:
1- The memorandum of the Minister of Finance and National Economy regarding the quarterly economic report for the second quarter of 2021, which clarified the Kingdom’s ability to return to economic and financial progress before the outbreak of the epidemic.
The preliminary results of the report showed that the nominal GDP grew by 20.7% during the second quarter of the year compared to the same quarter of 2020, supported by the growth of the non-oil sectors by 12.8%. While the real GDP growth rate reached 5.7% on an annual basis, which reflects the success of national efforts in mitigating the repercussions of the global Covid-19 challenge.
2- The memorandum of the Minister of Health regarding the achievements of the National Committee for the Control of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases for the years 2017-2021.
3- The Council of Ministers took note of the ministerial reports of the ministers on the results of participation in the seventh meeting of the Council of Ministers of Labor and the Council of Ministers of Social Affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, as well as the signing of the agreement. Organizing the Bahrain International Air Show 2022-2024 and participating in the DESI exhibition in London. The Kingdom of Bahrain also chaired the nineteenth meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Housing Affairs, and the Kingdom’s participation in the Fifth Arab Water Forum.
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