HRH the Crown Prince chairs weekly Cabinet meeting

Manama, Feb. 17 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting at Gudaibiya Palace. Following the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary-General, HE Dr. Yasser bin Issa Al-Nasser, made the following remarks: HRH the Crown Prince praised the constructive efforts made by the Ministry of Interior and the Judicial Authority to implement of the provisions of the Penal Code on Alternative Sentencing, noting the positive impact it has had on Bahraini society. The Cabinet then commended the joint efforts made between various entities taking the necessary precautionary measures to safeguard the Kingdom from the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). These include measures taken by the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, to ensure the safety of the Kingdom’s entry points. The Cabinet noted the importance of the ongoing efforts to ensure the continued health and safety of the Kingdom’s citizens and residents. HRH the Crown Prince then welcomed the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, wishing him success in his role in serving the Kingdom and its citizens. HRH the Crown Prince further noted the achievements and contributions made by HM the King’s Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs, HE Shaikh Khaled bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, in strengthening Bahraini diplomatic efforts, while Minister of Foreign Affairs. A number of submissions, memorandums and proposed laws were discussed during the meeting. The Cabinet outlined the following outcomes: The Cabinet approved a recommendation submitted by the Civil Service Council, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince, on downsizing the organisational structures of four Ministries and government authorities by cancelling and merging departments, changing their names and cancelling administrative positions. The recommendation is in line with government directives to reduce administrative positions and administrative support units. The changes outlined within the recommendation focused on changes in the organisational structures of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Electricity and Water Authority. Based on HRH the Crown Prince’s directives to identify necessary solutions for students who have received un-attested degrees from various un-approved universities in the Peoples Republic of China, and in line with the recommendations of the Government’s Executive Committee, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince, and recommendations by the Deputy Prime Minister, and President of the Supreme Council for the Development of Education and Training, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the Cabinet decided to form a committee to determine the educational level of 77 graduates, in order to decide if they need to complete their education within the Kingdom or beyond it. Furthermore, the Cabinet decided to approve 10 medical degrees from qualified universities, with approved clinic timings in order that the students in question are be able to complete their residency requirements and apply for their medical license exams. The Cabinet directed the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance and National Economy to provide the necessary budget needed to complete the requirements to attest medical degrees from universities in China. The Cabinet further entrusted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with relevant authorities within China to ensure a mechanism is put in place to issue study visas for Bahraini students who wish to continue their studies in China with recommended and approved universities only. The Cabinet also directed the Minister of Finance and National Economy to coordinate with the National Committee for the Evaluation of Academic Qualifications in updating the list of recommended degrees from various universities in China, and approved a recommendation submitted by the Council of Representatives in this regard. The Cabinet referred a recommendation submitted by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, to rename various industrial areas affiliated with the Ministry, to the Government Executive Committee. The Cabinet approved a Draft Law amending the Trademark Law regulations within the GCC, issued by Law No. (6) of 2014 in accordance with constitutional and legal procedures, and adopted by the GCC Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council in its 40th session held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on December 10, 2019. The amendment aims to replace the names of the relevant authority and the minister mentioned in Article One of Chapter One of the draft law. The Cabinet approved a Draft Law ratifying an agreement between the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Swiss Confederation on the elimination of double taxation with regard to income, capital taxes, and the prevention of tax evasion, which was signed on the 23rd of November 2019. The draft law was referred to the Legislative Authority. The Cabinet approved an MoU between the governments of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on cooperation to combat drug trafficking and smuggling, authorizing the relevant minister to sign it, in light of a recommendation submitted for this purpose by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs, submitted by HE the Minister of Education and Vice-Chairman of the said committee. The Cabinet approved an MoU between the Bahrain News Agency and Pakistan’s Associated Press, in light of a recommendation submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs, rand submitted by HE the Minister of Education and Vice-Chairman of the said committee. The Cabinet referred an MoU, submitted by the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs, and Endowments, between the Kingdom’s National Committee for International Humanitarian Law and Egypt’s National Committee on International Humanitarian Law, to the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs. The Cabinet approved a proposal submitted by the Council of Representatives to establish a national observatory to monitor the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities under of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, mandating the Ministry of Labour and Social Development to implement the proposal. The Cabinet approved a proposal submitted by the Council of Representatives, to ensure the Ministry of Electricity and Water considers increasing the maximum period of time for the financial debts projected on the bills of low-income families and to those families whose caretakers have passed away. The Cabinet entrusted HE the Minister of Electricity and Water to coordinate with the Minister of Labour and Social Development on this issue. In the item of Ministerial reports, the Cabinet reviewed a report submitted by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism regarding the participation in Biban Riyadh - Eye of Riyadh, which recently took place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.