This came as His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister, chaired the weekly Cabinet Meeting at the Gudaibiya Palace, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet.
The Minister of Interior presented the results of his official visit to the United States and the Kingdom of Belgium, and discussed the encounters he had with senior officials of the two countries and the desired results of these meetings and discussions, as well as the extent of its impact on the level of cooperation among them, especially stressing what has been reviewed in the field of experience and training, the fight against terrorism, and the exchange of information about elements of terrorism.
The Minister of Interior briefed the Cabinet on the positions of the two countries in support of the Kingdom of Bahrain in its steps toward reform and tributes paid to the government’s initiatives in this regard. The Cabinet noted the visit of the technical team of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, through the report submitted by the Minister of Human Rights Affairs. The Cabinet instructed the concerned authorities to provide all possible facilities to the technical team and to take advantage of its expertise in support of human rights work in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of spreading housing projects throughout the largest possible number of villages and towns, and to achieve this project with balance between social integration and geographical distribution. He ordered the acceleration of the implementation of the Hamala housing project; and in another context, he directed the allocation of more potential sites for housing projects in the north of Muharraq, especially in Busaiteen and east of the Qalali region to continue the government’s efforts in achieving what came in the Royal Decree for the establishment of 4000 housing units.
The Cabinet acknowledged the 13th anniversary of the National Action Charter, and acknowledged His Majesty the King and the people of Bahrain who unanimously came together on February 14, 2001 to make this Charter the beginning of a bright future for the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Cabinet stressed the importance of this anniversary in its uniting of the Bahraini community and coming together to achieve the aspirations of all in tolerance, harmony, social stability and civil peace, continuing the reform and initiatives pursued in the name of protecting the community by fighting all hatred and acts that destabilized security and stability. The National Action Charter will continue to be a national framework that unites the people of Bahrain with one goal: that is to achieve reform, freedom and a decent life.
His Royal Highness the Prime Minister, instructed to provide more facilities and incentives to attract and establish specialized exhibitions in the Kingdom. HRH congratulated the Gulf Industry Fair 2014, which was under his patronage, and the Autumn Fair which witnessed a high number of participants and attendees, while the Minister of Industry and trade Council provided a report on the activities of these exhibitions.
The Cabinet approved a draft law on information and communication, and referred it to the legislature based on the constitutional and legal procedures. This law is a quantum leap for freedom of information and communication that meets the ambitions to develop the media landscape in various fields as recommended by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. The bill enforces no penalties on journalists or individuals working in the field of information and communication. The bill provides for lack of accountability of the press on what is issued from opinion or correct information in good faith and does not force those working in the media to disclose their sources of information unless it was hidden by a direct threat to public order. This bill also eliminates the new draft law that holds the supreme body of information and communication penalties on licensees in the event of violating the provisions of this law or the code of honorable media including written warnings, delaying provisional licensing, and financial sanctions. It is noted that the draft media law addresses audio-visual media and electronic newspapers.
The Cabinet approved the creation of new departments in the Ministry of Interior to help increase efficiency and the quality of services and security. The Cabinet instructed the concerned authorities to take the legal and technical procedures necessary to implement this initiative, including the amendment of some provisions of the Decree 69/2004.
The Cabinet studied a number of options relating to support cultural activities, in efforts to contribute to sustainable development in the field of literature, the arts, and museums, and ensure the achievement of the partnership with the private sector. The Cabinet decided to refer the memorandum of the Ministry of Culture on this matter to the Ministerial Committee for Services and Infrastructure. In this regard, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister congratulated the Minister of Culture on the efforts made to implement the government’s strategy in the field of culture, heritage and the arts.
The Cabinet agreed to provide more facilities and incentives that support the aviation industry and encourage international airlines to operate through Bahrain International Airport, stressing its role as a pivotal and key airport in the region. These incentives include exemption of macro and micro rates, granting discounts to increase landing fees on some international companies, and the renewal of discounts granted to other companies. The Minister of Transportation briefed the Cabinet on the actions that will be taken in this regard.
The Cabinet approved a draft law on Partnerships Investment Co., Ltd. This bill introduces a new kind of legal entity, which is a partnership. This law regulates the financial activities authorized in partnerships and guides the creation of a partnership agreement, registration, limitation, and the responsibility within partnerships. The Cabinet decided to refer the memorandum filed in this regard by the Minister of Transportation to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.
The Cabinet discussed a number of matters relating to the importation of meat, the procedures on the import of consignments of animals, the supervisory role, and veterinary practice carried out by the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and harmonization of global standards for Animal Health to ensure the safety of meat that is consumed in the Kingdom through a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning. In this regard, the Cabinet considered a number of procedures and methods to ensure the opening of the import market for live and slaughtered meat.
The Cabinet approved the following suggestions from the House of Representatives: (1) establishing a walkway and resting units on the eastern coast of Hidd; (2) Providing more housing projects in the north of Muharraq; (3) expediting the issuance of a certificate and equivalent qualifications by the Board of Higher Education.