HRH Crown Prince chairs weekly Cabinet meeting

Manama, Dec. 23 (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: The Cabinet highlighted the speech made by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during the national celebrations held under his patronage, which reflected the Royal appreciation of the generous spirit of Bahraini citizens in all fields and reinforced the values which unite all the Kingdom’s citizens. The Cabinet took time to thank all Bahraini citizens, institutions and residents, as well as friendly nations and international bodies, for their congratulations on the Kingdom’s National Day. The Cabinet commended the results of the visit of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, His Excellency Imran Khan, highlighting the importance of the bilateral discussions led by HM the King and HRH the Crown Prince, which further enhanced the ties between the two countries, made evident by the signing of several memorandums of understanding. The Cabinet welcomed the results of the 40th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, presided over by the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to which HM King Hamad led the Bahraini delegation. In this regard, the Cabinet highlighted that the summit’s final statement called for further cohesion and strength within the GCC in order to face common challenges of security and stability. A number of submissions, memorandums and proposed laws were discussed during the meeting. The Cabinet outlined the following outcomes: HRH the Crown Prince directed the establishment of a mechanism for coordination between relevant government entities in the event that there is a labour complaint that is unresolvable. HRH instructed the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, to coordinate in this regard and report back periodically to measure the efficiency of this mechanism. The mechanism aims to avoid multiple conflict resolution bodies outside the judicial system that both the worker or employer may resort to, while upholding both their rights. The Cabinet approved a draft resolution on the organisation of an agency for individual labour dispute resolution. The agency aims to conduct amicable settlements of individual disputes between the worker and the employer with the consent of both parties and before resorting to legal proceedings, reducing the number of cases brought before the Courts. The aforementioned agency shall be attached to the Labor Relations Directorate at the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, and the draft resolution shall specify the organization of the agency, its workflow and the conditions for proceeding with settlements. The Cabinet continued to discuss the draft of the Press and Media Law, reviewing its compatibility and consistency with Bahrain’s commitments under international law and subscribed treaties. The Cabinet was briefed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister on the views and recommendations of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs, after which it decided to refer the draft law for a later Cabinet session, after obtain the the Government Executive Committee view on the matter. The Cabinet approved the Kingdom of Bahrain’s incorporation into The World Bank’s Human Capital Project, launched in 2017. Bahrain ranked 47th globally, first in the region, of a total of 157 countries measured, in The World Bank’s Human Capital Index of 2018. The Human Capital Project aims to expand the knowledge, skills, and health which people accumulate throughout their lives, enabling them to realise their potential as productive members of society. The topic was presented by His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister based on the recommendations of the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance. The Cabinet reviewed the most important achievements of the "Khatwa Home Businesses" program as reflected in a memorandum submitted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Development. The document explains that the project succeeded in turning 43 families towards entrepreneurial activity and led to 683 families, from different age and social groups, obtaining productive licenses. The total of sales obtained by these productive families amounted to BD 396,000 in 2019, up from BD 134,000 in 2011, thanks to an expansion of sales centres and marketing outlets that now include major markets in Bahrain. The Cabinet decided, based on recommendations submitted by the Ministry of Health, to refer to the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs a draft decision to amend the tables accompanying the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Law 15 of 2007, by adding new substances to the second and third groups. Later, the Cabinet reviewed a report on Bahrain’s participation in UNESCO’s 40th General Conference in France submitted by His Excellency the Minister of Education; a report on Bahrain’s participation in the Arab Ministers of Communications and Information meeting in Saudi Arabia, submitted by the Minister of Transportation & Telecommunications; and a report on Bahrain’s participation in the World Youth Forum in the Arab Republic of Egypt, submitted by the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs.