GUDAIBIA PALACE: The Cabinet during a weekly meeting affirmed the importance of art in advancing society, consolidating its values and principles, promoting its civilisation and supporting its efforts to serve human issues and goals, lauding the contributions of Bahraini artists in various fields.
The Cabinet has welcomed Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who is on an official visit to the Kingdom, and wished him a happy stay. It also lauded the two countries’ relations of friendship and cooperation, and their joint desire to bolster them in all fields.
This came as HRH Premier chaired at the Gudaibiya Palace on Monday the regular weekly cabinet meeting.
In a statement following the session, the Secretary-General of Cabinet Dr. Yaser bin Essa Al-Nasser said the cabinet praised the Bahrain Annual Fine Art Exhibition, held under the auspices of HRH Premier.
The Council of Ministers also valued highly all efforts exerted by the organisers of the 19th Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MEOS 2015), held under HRH Premier’s patronage, and opened today on his behalf by Deputy Premier Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.
It praised MEOS as a platform that brings together mega oil and gas companies, hailing the timing of the event, being held amid volatile oil prices.
Then, HRH Premier directed the ministries of Housing, Education, Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Health, and Justice Islamic Affairs and Endowments to identify the needs of Riffa regarding basic services, including housing, education, infrastructure and sanitation and address shortcomings in them.
He also reviewed with the same service ministries Al-Zallaq needs, and was informed about the executive plans and programmes in this regard, urging constant follow-up of the implementation process so as to ensure they are completed in a way that satisfies the citizens.
On the International Women’s Day, observed across the world on March 8, the cabinet saluted Bahraini women and lauded their landmark social, political and economic achievements, as a result of HM the King’s pioneering National Project, affirming support to all efforts to empower women and ensure them equal rights.
HRH Premier emphasised the need to tighten control procedures in ministries and state departments to preserve public money and ensure sound administrative practices, affirming the government’s keenness on addressing the remarks featuring in the report of the National Audit Office (NAO), and taking the necessary measures against whoever found guilty of violating systems and regulations.
HRH Premier lauded the efforts exerted by the Executive Committee, Chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, in establishing criteria and standards for dealing with NAC reports, praising the positive impacts of those endeavours.
The general state budget for the two fiscal years 2015-2016 also took centre stage during today’s session.
The budget’s general principles and bases to prepare the estimated expenditures to achieve the core priorities outlined in the Government Action Plan (GAP), endorsed by the Council of Representatives were discussed. The bases include enhancing non-oil revenues, reducing costs of government services, reviewing government subsidies to ensure they benefit only the targeted sides, reducing the level of public debt and supporting sectors that stimulate economic growth.
The session reviewed a memo presented by the Deputy Premier and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs and Rationalising Expenditure. It included the panel’s recommendations concerning the estimated general expenditures, expected oil and non-oil revenues and expected deficit.
The cabinet then requested the Finance Ministry to coordinate with ministries and government departments to reduce their expenditure estimates for 2015 and 2016, in line with the recommendations of the Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs and Rationalising Expenditure, and the general bases of the budget.