HRH Crown Prince outlines Bahrain's progress and vision for the future at the government forum 2018

Manama, Oct. 28 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today gave a wide-ranging presentation on Bahrain's progress and plans for the future at the Bahrain Government Forum 2018. Speaking at the event, the Crown Prince began by noting that Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, launched in 2008, has been pursued in line with its three founding principles: sustainability, competitiveness and fairness. Despite challenges faced over the past decade, the Vision has helped to ensure Bahrain's development is based on strong economic fundamentals, with non-oil sector growth standing at 5 per cent in 2017, and FDI forecast to be $650 million in 2018, up from $65 million in 2008. Over the last 12 months, the government has made significant progress in delivering the Vision's core priorities by supporting private sector growth as the main engine of economic development, encouraging greater innovation, and enhancing citizens’ living standards. As part of the Government Action Plan (2015-2018), a range of new laws have been passed in collaboration with Parliament in the last year, including measures regulating bankruptcy and real estate development. The Crown Prince also detailed the government’s recently announced Fiscal Balance Program, which aims to align government revenues with economic growth and eliminate Bahrain’s budget deficit by 2022. The Program, which has already commenced across government, is supported by the $10 billion Financial Support Agreement signed between Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. The Crown Prince emphasised that as with previous challenges faced by the Kingdom, the united efforts of Team Bahrain will ensure all obstacles are overcome now and in the future. His Royal Highness went on to outline key socioeconomic reforms that are underway, including a government housing programme to deliver 25,000 new housing units - of which 20,000 have been allocated. The Crown Prince announced during his presentation that the government will allocate an additional 5,000 housing units by the end of this year. His Royal Highness also discussed the Kingdom's new pioneering health insurance law, which will ensure health insurance coverage for all citizens and residents. Turning to the government's regulatory reforms that encourage innovation and private sector growth in the Kingdom, the Crown Prince announced the launch of Sijilat 2.0, an update to the successful online Commercial Registration service launched in May 2016. The Crown Prince noted that the success of Sijilat has opened doors to similar streamlined processes in other sectors. In this regard, His Royal Highness announced the launch of Binayat, a streamlined process for issuing building permits within five days. HRH the Crown Prince then provided an update on the Kingdom’s far-reaching infrastructure programme and the enhancement of Bahrain's logistics offering, with strategic projects including the expansion of Bahrain International Airport, the launch of strategic road network projects, and the construction of King Hamad Causeway. Speaking about the regional-leading progress Bahrain's Labour Market Regulatory Authority has made, His Royal Highness noted the Kingdom's recognition as an international leader in migrant worker protections and combatting human trafficking, becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to be granted Tier 1 status in the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report. The Kingdom has also taken steps to increase employment of Bahraini nationals and received global recognition for its introduction of Flexible Working Permits, which grant expatriates the opportunity to work for more than a single employer at a time. In conclusion, His Royal Highness emphasised the government's absolute commitment to continuously improving government services. With the launch of Taqyeem (Government Service Centre Evaluation) last year, the government now tracks KPIs for all of the Kingdom's 89 government service centres. The Crown Prince announced that in the first yearly evaluation, ten centres received a 'Gold classification' under the Taqyeem system, and that results will now be made available to the public on an annual basis. His Royal Highness also announced the number of submissions received through the Fikra programme, a new innovation competition launched this year which seeks public sector employees' policy suggestions, saying that 565 submissions are now being considered. The Crown Prince thanked the government and parliamentary attendees for their crucial contribution to Bahrain's development, and stressed the need to continue to promote excellence and innovation as key components of all government work. His Royal Highness said that as one team under the umbrella of Team Bahrain, the Kingdom's development, prosperity and greater opportunity for all will be guaranteed long into the future.