Bahraini cabinet praises royal keynote speech

The cabinet has praised His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s keynote speech, delivered on his behalf by Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa during the opening of the 36th Aseela Arts Festival in Morocco in which the Kingdom of Bahrain was the guest of honour.
The speech confirmed the Kingdom’s unwavering resolve to carry on its democratic march and support joint GCC and Arab action work while taking into account the importance of building on common grounds that will lead to forming social groups that are based on solidarity and cooperation and benefiting from the experiences of others, Minister of State for Information Affairs and the Government’s Official Spokesperson Sameera Ebrahim bin Rajab stated.
In a statement following today’s regular weekly session, chaired at the Gudaibiya Palace by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, she said that the Cabinet was briefed on the ongoing efforts of the Executive Committee in dealing with what was presented in the National Audit Office report.
The cabinet requested the Minister of Interior to prepare a report on the issues that had been referred by the government to the Public Prosecutor, she added.
The Cabinet approved a memorandum presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy President of the Civil Service Bureau on the criteria and rules for granting bonuses to the heads and members of government boards and committees, the Spokesperson also said, explaining that those bonuses should be granted in accordance with the law, decrees or edicts issued by the Prime Minister.
The memorandum also specified the responsibilities of the relevant government entities and the procedures for the implementation of Decree No. (19) of 2014 on those bonuses.
The Cabinet also discussed a memorandum presented by the Minister of State for Follow-up Affairs concerning the follow-up on the implementation of the Government Action Plan (2011-2014), she stated.
The memorandum included mainly the follow-up on the implementation of the Government Action Plan in 38 ministries and government entities up to the second half of 2014, the projects registered in the electronic system was 1024 during the years 2011-2014, the average completion of projects increased from 73% by the end of December 2013 to 77% by the end of the second half of 2014, as well as 102 long-term projects, to be completed as part of the Government Action Plan (2015-2018).
It also included the some projects whose implementation was extended and would be completed as part of the Government Action Plan (2015-2018), she said, adding that 25 delayed projects will be completed by mid-2014.
The Cabinet referred the memo to the Infrastructure Ministerial Committee with directives to overcome existing difficulties and to expedite the implementation of the delayed projects as well as working with the concerned authorities to ease the procedures that will aid in expediting the implementation of the projects.
On measures to prevent Ebola Virus from entering the Kingdom, the Cabinet reviewed a report issued by the Ministerial Committee, chaired by Deputy Premier Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, in this regard.
The Cabinet ordered more precautionary measures in order to prevent the virus from entering the country, the Minister said.
In another context, the cabinet discussed a report presented by the Minister of Labour on those eligible for subsidy and unemployment insurance, as well as data on training, employment and vacancies during the first quarter of 2014, she said.
The Report revealed a fall in the unemployment rate during the second quarter of 2014 to 3.7%, compared to 4% in the first quarter, the Minister pointed out, noting that 6085 citizens were employed in the second quarter of 2014, at the rate of 2028 jobs per month, and that crafts jobs and the production and transportation sectors had the highest rates of employment.
The figures reflect the Government’s tireless efforts to develop the labour market and provide better job opportunities for the citizens, she said, adding that the Cabinet emphasised the importance of the commitment of International Organisations to exercise precision in communicating these figures.
On issues related to the Legislative Branch, the cabinet approved draft law No. 12 of the law No. 74 for the year 2006 concerning the welfare, rehabilitation and employment of people with disabilities, based on a proposal submitted by the House of Representatives, and referred it to the Legislative Committee for further study.
The Cabinet also reviewed a draft law concerning domestic workers, based on the amended proposal of the House of Representatives and the memorandum of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, the Government’s Official Spokesperson also said.