His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa chaired the regular weekly cabinet meeting at Gudaibiya Palace on Sunday wherein the cabinet urged the citizens to participate in the next month’s bye-elections.
Minister of Cabinet Affairs Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed in a statement said that with the start for filing of nominations process for the bye-elections, the cabinet encouraged everybody to participate effectively in these elections in consecration of democracy and to support reformation and boost popular participation in state affairs management.
The cabinet reiterated the significance of increasing active participation in the electioneering process in atmospheres of freedom and transparency aloof from any compulsoriness, instigation or intimidation in order to magnify our national gains. The cabinet stressed that the government is keen to prepare and ensure appropriate environment that affords individuals their constitutional rights of exercising their freedoms.
The cabinet also pointed out that to pose any impediment in order to prevent individual’s participation in their electioneering commitments or to influence their decision is hateful ailments contradictory to the simplest foundations of democracy and human rights and threaten the safety and rectitude of the democratic march. Overall reforms rely on political and societal willpower which should be realized through collective participation from everybody in the political life in the widest scope in order to boost the democratic process in the country.
As the government has often been keen and concerned with citizens affairs and alleviation of their burdens, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa the Prime Minister ordered payment of August salaries ahead of normal payday in order to help citizens satisfy their requirements to coincide with Eid which requires their preparations of their needs.
The cabinet congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdulla bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud Monarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of laying the foundations tone for the expansion project of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, KSA and inauguration of a number of development projects in the two holy mosques which are given attention from the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdulla bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud Monarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to serve Islam and Muslims in terms of making it easier for pilgrims and visitors to the holy shrines who wish to perform the rites of Haj and Omra in the holiest spots on earth. His Royal Highness the Prime Minister hailed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s development and renaissance in all walks of life under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his wise government which reflect positively both regionally and internationally.
HRH the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Health to implement a phased plan to upgrade medical services provided to sickle cell patients and the ministry should develop facilities and provide medication and services to alleviate suffering from patients and their families. The minister of Human Rights and Social Development cum Minister of Health submitted in this regard a memo for review by the cabinet.
The cabinet then discussed a number of memos in its meeting’s agenda and passed the following resolutions in respect thereof:
The cabinet discussed the possibilities with regard to the procedures which can help to enhance the state’s public budget in order to cover additional expenditures such as the recent salaries raise and civil, military and pensioners’ salaries and wages in order to write off budget deficit.
The ministerial committee for financial and economic affairs submitted its recommendations to the cabinet that reviewed the report and approved the recommendations and ordered the taking of the necessary legal and technical actions in this regard.
The cabinet explored the future of pensions systems applicable in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the future financial position of the General Organization of Social Insurance (GOSI). The cabinet reviewed actuary studies in this regard and the means to prolong the life of insurance funds and to preserve them. The cabinet in this aspect reviewed a number of proposals and options submitted from the ministerial committee for financial and economic affairs in order to alleviate the onus from insurance funds. The cabinet resolved to complete its discussion in the next sessions.
As part of the government’s keenness to improve living conditions for citizens, and in order to complete the efforts started by the government in terms of improving wages to university-qualified citizens employed in the private sector, the cabinet discussed a number of proposals in this regards and reviewed the memo submitted by the Minister of Labor for this purpose.
The cabinet ordered the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor to coordinate on this matter and to submit a joint memo in this regard to the cabinet.
The cabinet also underlined importance of role played by the Civil Defense Council and its efforts in translating the government’s commitment regarding the provision of the Kingdom’s needs in terms of strategic storage and its preparations in terms of laying down plans in order to counter general disasters, curb their impacts in addition to the environmental phenomena which affect the cooperation with the competent authorities for the protection of citizens and resident’s safety. The cabinet also reviewed a detailed report submitted by the Minister of Interior chairman of the Civil Defense Council on the Civil Defense Council’s activities and achievements since issuance of HRH the Prime Minister’s ordinance for its re-formation in 2009.