Municipal Councils’ role in national work stressed

Manama, September 40 (BNA) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa stressed the importance of municipal councils in national work, describing them as a milestone in the development process of the Kingdom under the leadership of His Majesty the King. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. He referred to their essential role in the construction and development process as a key partner to the government led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

He said that the municipal councils as elected councils for nearly a century attest to the approach based on involving citizens in decision-making. In 1924, citizens and women went to the polls for the first time to be elected. Representatives in the Municipal Council in implementation of the principle of popular participation.” He added that this approach always embodies his foresight as his practices have developed in line with contemporary changes thanks to the reform project of His Majesty the King.

This came during a speech by His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure, where today he sponsored a ceremony honoring members of the capital’s municipal councils and municipal councils. The ceremony, which was attended by ministers and senior officials, was organized by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, at the conclusion of the work of the fifth municipal session.

On this occasion, Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa praised the contributions of the heads and members of the Capital Municipality and municipal councils and their role in meeting the needs of citizens through their constructive suggestions and recommendations.

He explained that the municipal model adopted in the Kingdom of Bahrain has proven its importance in accelerating the process of completion and implementation of municipal projects. He said: The Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects attaches great importance to following up on directing the revenues of the Municipal Common Resources Fund to raise the level of infrastructure in both the old and new areas, and the Council of Ministers agreed in 2019 and 2021 to allocate budgets from those resources totaling about 63.7 One million Bahraini dinars to finance 119 municipal projects serving thousands of properties in various regions.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure indicated that the ministerial committee recently assigned the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture to examine the proposals of members of the capital’s municipal councils and municipalities regarding infrastructure needs in all regions. He pointed out that the aim is to include them in the executive plans and allocate the necessary budgets for them in future sessions. He pointed out that the initiative reflects the government’s keenness to strengthen partnership with municipal councils, and their participation in decision-making.

He stressed that cooperation and coordination is a well-established principle that the executive authority will not deviate from in its dealings with the elected councils, which is a real value and a gain for the democratic process of the Kingdom of Bahrain. He stressed that the government, within the framework of collective action – Team Bahrain – will continue to harness the necessary capabilities to support the work of municipal councils to provide the best services.

During the ceremony, the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture delivered a speech in which he thanked the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Infrastructure for sponsoring the ceremony, expressing his appreciation for the continuous support provided by the Ministry and its programs. He stressed the unremitting efforts made by the Capital Secretariat and the municipal councils during the fifth session to achieve the development goals and aspirations of the people.

In this context, the Minister reviewed the most prominent projects completed during the fifth municipal session, stressing the practical partnership with the private sector and civil society institutions in the implementation of many municipal projects.

AOQ