Representatives' committee calls for increasing government revenues

Manama, Apr. 3 (BNA): A joint meeting today held comprised members of the financial committees of the Representatives and Shura councils and the government to discuss the 2019 – 2020 general state budget draft law. Minister of Finance and National Economy and Minister of Transportation Telecommunications, Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and Minister of Electricity and Water were present. Head of Representatives’ Financial and Economic Committee, Ali Ishaqi, on the sidelines of the meeting, stated that the Representatives’ committee called for increasing the non-oil revenues to diversify the sources of revenues, consequently achieving Bahrain’s financial balance. He said the committee learned about the budget details and revenues of the Bahrain Holding Company, as it is a government investment company supportive to the national economy and it is a significant employer for national Labour. Ishaqi said the committee focused on the operational and logistic plans and projects of the Ministry of Transpiration and Telecommunications, chiefly the Bahrain airport expansion project, the increase in air freight revenues, and the transit services of Bahrain International Airport. With regard to the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, he said the committee sought knowledge about expenditure of revenues of the Municipalities and Capital Secretariat Fund, in addition to the mechanism for benefiting from the Gulf Support Program for the ministry’s projects. In relation to electricity and water sector, he said that the committee got acquainted with the basics for estimating the budget, the operational expense of each ministry and the government entity, in addition, the committee requested details about the mechanism for employing the Gulf support in the sector. He said, in every similar meeting with the government, the committee highlights the need to increase the government revenues without affecting the citizens.