MANAMA: His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Dr. Al Nasser said HRH Premier who chaired the regular weekly Cabinet meeting, at the Gudaibiya Palace on Sunday directed the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to provide facilities to owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
He stressed that LMRA’s procedures to collect unpaid fees should not lead to the closure of those merchants’ shops or deportation of their workers, in line with the remarks submitted by traders during the Premier’s recent visit to Beit Al-Tijjar.
The cabinet has welcomed the visits of the Spanish Monarch and the Sri Lankan President to Bahrain next week, noting that they will enhance cooperation and friendly relations between Bahrain and both countries, the Secretary-General of Cabinet Dr. Yaser bin Essa Al-Nasser, said.
HRH Premier directed the Interior Ministry, following a memo submitted by the Minister of State for Interior Affairs, to continue developing the mechanisms of the trucks’ movement on the King Fahad Causeway and ensure that the movement cards are not exploited in a way that disrupts the smooth flow of truck traffic or delays it.
The efforts of the Bahraini security forces in maintaining security and protecting the society from terrorism also came under praise by HRH Premier, who affirmed the government’s unwavering determination to combat terrorism and violence, drain their sources and eradicate them through reinforcing law and order.
HRH Premier issued instructions to intensify awareness-raising campaigns and programmes on Coronavirus and urged the Ministry of Health and upgrades its precautionary measures in order to protect the kingdom from it, praising, in this regard, the efforts exerted by the Minister of Health and the ministry’s affiliates.
The Prime Minister also instructed the Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry to speed up efforts to re-build the Muharraq Central Market and provide suitable locations for merchants, shop owners and shoppers there.
The cabinet valued highly the role players by workers in the kingdom’s building and development march in various fields. The ministers congratulated workers in Bahrain on the International Labour Day, praising the landmark labour achievements attained in the country during His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s prosperous era.
The cabinet called upon all production parties to join ranks in order to improve the work environment and preserve the hard-won labour achievements within social stability.
The cabinet reviewed a memo presented by the Committee on Controlling and Rationalising Expenditures and Enhancing Income and Productivity in ministries and government institutions, and decided to approve the Saudi standards used for air conditioners, and impose a ban on the manufacture and import of incandescent lamps, and directed the relevant ministries to issue the necessary regulatory decisions to replace those lamps with energy-saving ones.
The Cabinet also discussed a memorandum presented by the Deputy Premier and Chairman of the Committee for Controlling and Rationalising Expenditures and Enhancing Income and Productivity in ministries and government institutions on the draft law amending some provisions of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) No. (64) for the year 2006 concerning the involvement of ministries and government institutions in Credit Information Centres.
Another memorandum, presented by the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning on old and dilapidated houses, was also discussed. The minister suggested demolishing abandoned houses found hazardous to their habitants, neighbouring houses or nearby pedestrians. He also called for evacuation of buildings inhabited by foreign workers, or ensures that health and safety requirements are present. The minister also suggested evacuating such buildings inhabited by Bahraini families and providing them with alternatives.
The cabinet requested the Ministerial Committee for Services and Infrastructure to study the proposals, taking into account heritage houses.
The Education Minister’s recommendation to implement the improvement of school hours programme at all the intermediate schools, as from the next academic year 2014-2015, was also endorsed during the session. The project will be implemented in September 2014. The school day will end at quarter past two instead of one o’clock.
A memorandum on strengthening strategic partnership between Bahrain and Malaysia in the field of exchanging information, expertise and training as well as to enhance cooperation in the field of scientific research related to the quality assurance of education and training, to cabinet by the Minister of Shura Council and Parliament Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Authority for Qualifications and Quality Assurance of Education and Training (QAAET), was referred to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs for further review.
The cabinet endorsed and referred to the Legislative Authority two agreements signed between Bahrain and Pakistan on encouraging and protecting investments and air transportation services.
The cabinet was informed about the replies of the concerned ministries on the recommendations of the parliamentary investigation committee regarding the issues of meat, livestock and barns and referred it to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs for further study.
The cabinet approved a proposal submitted by the Representatives Council on granting annual licenses for foreign workers’ accommodation, and another on dilapidated houses in the Capital Governorate’s eighth constituency, Dr. Al-Nasser said.