Qatar PM holds regular weekly session

HE Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Wednesday chaired the cabinet's regular meeting at its premises at the Emiri Diwan.
In a statement after the meeting, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud said the cabinet looked at issues on the agenda and took the proper decisions.
The cabinet took the necessary measures to issue a bill on passing a law on court proceedings in family matters after it reviewed recommendations of the Advisory Council on the bill.
According to this law, court sessions in family-related issues are to be secret while rulings are given in open sessions. In the context of building up the proceedings of the rule, the court is entitled to enlighten opponents about requirements of a proper functioning of the case, and give them time to put forward their defense. It also may delegate a member of the counseling and family reconciliation offices to submit a report on the case or a certain aspect of it.
The court can as well use counseling and family reconciliation offices to help in reaching a settlement for the conflict through reconciliation. The relevant court in charge of family cases at the court of first instance or the Court of Cassation is to hear cases according to the conditions in issues related to self-jurisdiction as well as mandate over money, endowment and inheritance. The law explains how to file lawsuits, methods of proof and the implementation of decisions and rulings.
The cabinet approved a draft law amending some provisions of the traffic law No. 19 of 2007. It also approved a draft decision by the minister of interior amending some provisions of the traffic law regulations, which were issued by the minister of interior's decision No. 6 of 2010. In addition, the cabinet gave the green light for a draft decision by the minister of interior amending some provisions of decision No. 19 of 2007 on defining fees for the Ministry of Interior's services and the certificates it issues.
During the meeting, the cabinet approved a draft law on regulating study missions and draft decision on issuing regulations of the law.
The draft law included provisions related to the objectives and types of study missions as well as the formation and powers of mission' committee, and the terms and conditions of being part of a mission, the rights and obligations of scholars, ending missions and school holidays.
Moreover, the cabinet approved its draft decision on the reformation of the committee on aquatic living resources, which is responsible for developing and promoting the fishing sector so as to contribute to achieving food security, and preserving and developing aquatic living resources. The committee is based at the Ministry of Environment.
According to this decision, the new formation of the committee on aquatic living resources comprises the assistant undersecretary for agriculture, livestock and fisheries as chairman, and head of the fisheries department as vice chairman as well as representative members of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning, Ministry of Transport, Qatar University and the central municipality council, along with four representatives of fishermen to picked by the minister of environment.
The cabinet also approved the minister of transport's decision on reconciliation in violations related to maritime transport and marine systems.  
The cabinet approved a draft decision by the minister of labor and social affairs on a protection system for wages of workers covered by the labor law. It also approved the minister's draft decision on the establishment of a division for wage protection at the department of labor inspection.
The draft decision included a commitment by employers to pay workers by crediting their wages to state banks and financial institutions within seven days of their payment due date. All employers are required to adjust their situation in line with the provisions of the decision.
Via a ministerial decision, violators may be prevented from acquiring new work permits and their transactions with the ministry may be put on hold if they fail to transfer wages one month after their due date. The suspension doesn't include ratification of work contracts though, and it shall be lifted when the employer provides proof for the transfer of outstanding wages.
The second draft decision stipulates that the division of wage protection is responsible for supervising a program that protects workers who are covered by the labor law and to make sure their payments are met on time in collaboration with concerned state entities.
The cabinet approved a draft decision by the minister of labor and social affairs amending some provisions of Law No. 17 of 2005 on defining the terms and conditions of appropriate housing for workers.
It also approved to add to the National Committee for Traffic Safety a representative from each of the Ministry of Transport and Qatar Petroleum. Additionally, it approved the addition of a representative from each of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to the Permanent Population Committee.
The cabinet approved to add a representative of the Foreign Ministry as member of the committee responsible for carrying out GCC supreme council's joint-work-related decisions.
It approved as well the application of the provisions of Law No. 24 of 2002 on retirement and pensions for Qatari employees of Sidra Medical and Research Center.
The cabinet reviewed recommendations of the Advisory Council in relation to Qatar's comprehensive urban plan, and decided to submit them to relevant entities to study them and offer their views.
In addition, the cabinet reviewed and took the appropriate decisions regarding a set of issues, namely: a memo from the minister of public health on the outcome of the 67th session of the World Health Assembly, which was held in Geneva in May; a letter by HE minister of economy and commerce on the results of the 49th meeting of GCC commercial cooperation committee, which took place in Kuwait in May; and a letter by HE minister of energy and industry, who is also chairman of the Permanent Water Resources Committee (PWRC), on the first quarterly report of the committee in 2014.
The cabinet took the necessary procedures to ratify an economic and trade cooperation agreement between the governments of Qatar and Brazil; an agreement on economic, artistic and scientific cooperation between the governments of Qatar and Costa Rica; and an agreement between the governments of Qatar and Kenya on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion in relation to income taxes.
Finally, the cabinet approved a draft agreement on aviation services between the governments of Qatar and Mali.