Manama, November 29 (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 noted the results of the talks held by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, and their importance in further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. .
The Cabinet commended the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and His Royal Highness’s attendance of the National Day celebration at the Kingdom of Bahrain’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. .
The Cabinet praised the success of the UAE in hosting this global event, and praised the national effort that enabled the Kingdom of Bahrain to participate in the exhibition, noting that the participation reflects the culture and development of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Cabinet also congratulated the Head of State, government and people on the occasion of the 50th National Day of the United Arab Emirates.
On the occasion of Bahraini Women’s Day, the Council of Ministers expressed its congratulations to all the women of the Kingdom, and praised the efforts of the Supreme Council for Women headed by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, consort of His Majesty the King and Prime Minister. The Supreme Council for Women in the Advancement of Bahraini Women.
In light of the discovery of a new variant of COVID-19 in many countries, the Cabinet affirmed its commitment to constantly monitoring global developments and stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain is currently free of the new variant.
The Cabinet affirmed that the necessary measures will always be taken to protect citizens and residents in Bahrain. It directed the concerned authorities to continue its oversight procedures.
The Cabinet commended the public’s commitment to all precautionary measures, and highlighted the importance of continuing to adhere to them, including receiving vaccination and a booster dose to ensure the health and safety of everyone.
During the meeting, the Council of Ministers discussed several memoranda, including the following results:
First: Approval of the following memoranda:
1 – A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Financial Balance on the strategy for developing the financial services sector (2022-2026), within the framework of the priority development of promising sectors within the economic recovery plan, which was launched by royal order. The directives of His Majesty King Hamad announced by the Council of Ministers headed by His Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The strategy is based on five priorities related to creating job opportunities, developing legislation and regulatory policies, financial services and financial technology, the capital markets sector, and the insurance sector, through the implementation of 47 programs.
The strategy also targets 8 indicators, including increasing the contribution of the financial and insurance sectors to the GDP.
2- Memorandum of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft decision to amend the list of health professions issued by Decree No. (24) of 2016.
3. The memorandum of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of South Korea for cooperation in the field of civil service.
4. The memorandum of the Minister of Interior regarding the digitization of some services provided by the General Directorate of Civil Defense at the Ministry of Interior on the e-government portal. This includes services related to the issuance of fire safety certificates for buildings, services related to security and safety equipment, and the issuance and renewal of licenses.
5. A memorandum from the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning regarding the development of the option to extend the validity of building permits for an additional year, provided that the extension request is submitted before the permit expires.
6. The memorandum of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding the government’s response to the Parliament’s proposal.
Second: The Council reviewed the following topics:
1- A joint memorandum between the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and the Minister of Labor and Social Development regarding occupational safety and enhancing safety requirements for contractors at work sites and preserving lives, property and legal responsibilities from the competent authorities.
2- A memorandum by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning regarding the progress made in implementing priorities, plans and programs in accordance with the government’s work plan 2019-2022.
Then the Council of Ministers took note of the ministerial reports related to the following: Bahrain’s participation in the Twelfth Conference of Arab Ministers of Education, the seventeenth edition of the Manama Dialogue, the external participation of ministers and senior officials in December 2021, as well as a review of the calendar of events from November 2021 to March 2022 .
NS