Finance Minister inaugurates Middle East Guidance Forum

Manama, Nov. 11 (BNA): Minister of Finance and National Economy, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, has stressed that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, sets a model for one-team spirit work that leads to achievement and excellence. In his inaugural speech today of the 2nd edition of the Middle East Guidance Forum, held under the theme “Giving Priority to Guidance in a New World”, the minister affirmed Bahrain’s keenness to increase investment in the field supporting the human capital. He pointed out that using the available opportunities to promote the outcome of guidance and training and harmonize them with the requirements of development will contribute to developing sectors and creating more job opportunities. The forum was organised as an event that combines in-person and virtual attendance to discuss a number of issues related to changes in the labour market resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The forum aims to shed light on the role of guidance in enhancing human capital. The Minister of Finance and National Economy stressed that continuous guidance and training is the guarantor for transition of knowledge between generations. He pointed out the importance of developing this mechanism as part of an institutional work that is based on well-defined goals and strategies to ensure continuity of the guidance and development process. The minister pointed out the directives of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister in February 2020 to form the National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and set up a joint operation room working round the clock, although Bahrain still hadn’t recorded any case of infection then. “This was part of the proactive approach and the wise vision of HRH to manage the coronavirus crisis,” he said, pointing out that 11 days after mapping out plans, the first case was recorded in the Kingdom of Bahrain when all logistic services were ready to face the pandemic in coordination with the competent authorities who worked as one team. The Minister of Finance and National Economy affirmed that the world had drawn lessons from the pandemic including mainly how societies should put the public interest above the private one. He noted that countries that prioritized the public interest showed better performance in overcoming the challenge imposed by the pandemic. He also paid tribute to the national competencies for their high sense of responsibility, desire to brave challenges and make achievements. The Minister of Finance and National Economy underlined the significance of social cohesion on psychological and social stability, pointing out the measures taken by the kingdom, under the directives of HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to combat the pandemic and weather its impact on the community. He also underscored the importance of building confidence in societies through the provision of the needed information and adherence to credibility and transparency. He said that before the detection of the first COVID-19 case, a comprehensive media strategy had been hammered out and is still continuing to answer people’s queries and about the pandemic. The minister asserted that countries that have proven their position in development and progress are those that accorded human and financial resources equal importance. He pointed out that all government priorities and programmes in the Kingdom of Bahrain are based on this principle, including the recently-launched economic recovery plan.