Newspapers: Supporting National Product, SMEs is Economic Priority

Doha, June 30 (QNA) - The newspapers highlighted, in their editorials Wednesday, HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment, chairing Tuesday morning the Council's second meeting in 2021 at the Amiri Diwan, where he reviewed the decisions and recommendations made in the first meeting, and the project follow-up report, as well as the discussions about the country's economic priorities and appropriate decisions on them. The newspapers unanimously agreed that HH the Amir chairing the Council's second meeting in 2021 reflects the states interest at the highest level of leadership in supporting this sector and promoting the national product as a Qatari priority, and stressed that the Council reviewed the presentation on the challenges of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), the presentation of mechanisms and policies to support local products that open new horizons to support these important and vital sectors that are in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) towards diversifying the economy. For its part, Al-Sharq newspaper said in its editorial that the challenges facing the SME enterprises sector have topped the attention of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment, which held its second meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment. The newspaper added that the meeting, which was attended by HH the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Deputy Chairman of the Council, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, Executive Member of the Council and Their Excellencies the members of the Council, reviewed the presentation on the challenges of the SMEs, the presentation of mechanisms and policies to support local products and increase their competitiveness, the anti-dumping law and the anti-cover-up law, in addition to the presentation on the application of local added value in the country. The paper pointed to the assertion of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, Executive Member of the Council and Their Excellencies the members of the Council, that the mechanisms to support the local product, and the challenges faced by the SME sector and related laws, receive special attention from the state as part of a diversification plan to the economy and according to the QNV 2030, indicating that this interest confirms the state's determination to support Qatar's young entrepreneurs and revive the role of SMEs in building the national economy. In conclusion, Al-Sharq indicated that the state has intervened with many packages of support for SMEs, especially as a result of the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to advance this vital sector, which is considered a pillar in development, given that supporting SMEs would encourage the local product and develop solutions to the problems facing its competition for the foreign product, especially with regard to allocating land for SMEs, reducing rents and reducing the cost of the local product to enhance competitiveness and motivate young people and to achieve self-sufficiency as an important goal for the Qatari economy. Al-Raya newspapers emphasized in its editorial that HH The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment, chairing the Council's second meeting in 2021 at the Amiri Diwan, reflects the State's interest in supporting this sector and promoting national product as a Qatari priority. The Council reviewed the presentation on the challenges of the SMEs, the presentation of mechanisms and policies to support local products and increase their competitiveness, the anti-dumping law and the anti-cover-up law, in addition to the presentation on the application of local added value in the country. The newspaper said that the SME sector and the local product achieved great successes over the past few years, in light of the directives of HH the Amir to support this sector and enhance the presence of national product in the local and global markets. It added that in light of the economic challenges the world is experiencing, the Council discussed the country's economic priorities and took appropriate decisions regarding them, while the Qatari economy was characterized by high efficiency and flexibility in dealing with crises, and succeeded in stabilizing the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis and the decline of oil prices , according to the monthly economic bulletin issued by Qatar Chamber earlier this year. It pointed out that all international indicators issued by international financial and economic institutions unanimously agreed that the Qatari economy would receive the highest credit ratings in the world, as the International Monetary Fund expected Qatar's GDP to grow by about 2.7 percent during 2021. The newspaper stated that the Council's discussion of the challenges facing SMEs and the mechanisms and policies to support local products open new horizons to support these important and vital sectors that are in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 towards diversifying the economy. It stated that discussing these challenges and their causes contribute to strengthening ways to solve them in a radical way that benefits the owners of these projects and the national economy as a whole. Al-Raya concluded its editorial by referring to the Global Competitiveness Report 2019 issued by the World Economic Forum, which showed that the State of Qatar ranked 4rd in the world in the ease of financing small and medium enterprises, and this clearly reflects the great success of the efforts made to strengthen the SME sector. For its part, Lusail newspaper highlighted in its editorial the three significant main topics that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment pointed out on Tuesday during the Council's second meeting in 2021, which are the mechanisms and policies to support local products and increase their competitiveness, the anti-dumping law and the anti-cover-up law. In regard to supporting local products and increasing their competitiveness, the paper said that it is protected by the law of supporting the competitiveness of national products and combating harmful practices to them in international trade, as this law has a pivotal role in promoting food security plans and providing protection and support for the local industry and national products in a ways that does not clash with the provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements. The paper added that this law has played a remarkable part in fighting against harmful practices in international trade, and protected the Qatari economy from dumping practices of goods and products coming from abroad, which would necessarily reflect on an increase in imports. In regard to the anti-dumping law, the paper said that this law is also connected to supporting local products, as it worked on gradually transforming the local market into a market immune from dumping, describing it as a cycle that integrates with the various initiatives launched by the state to support national products for more than three years, which have proven their efficiency and ability to meet the needs of the local market. In regard to the anti-cover-up law, the paper explained that this law, which is concerned with combating the cover-up of non-Qatari practice of commercial and economic activities in violation of the law, is considered a major qualitative leap that gives the investment climate more transparency, consolidates the rule of law in the economic fields, supports the business and investment climate and achieves what is set by Vision 2030, adding that it is also the law that establishes self-reliance plans in the economic and commercial fields. Lusail concluded its editorial by affirming that after all, the outcomes of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment's meeting aim to create a healthy and transparent investment environment, while monitoring the performance of all sectors with great accuracy, as well as examining any obstacles and attempts to either remove them or solve them rapidly, in order to ensure the proper functioning and integration of all the state's bodies. Al-Watan stated that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment, chaired the Council's second meeting in 2021 at the Amiri Diwan, where he reviewed the decisions and recommendations made in the first meeting and the follow up report. The Council also discussed the State's economic priorities and took appropriate decisions, and it was also briefed on the presentation on the challenges of the SMEs, the presentation of mechanisms and policies to support local products and increase their competitiveness, the anti-dumping law and the anti-cover-up law, in addition to the presentation on the application of local added value in the country. In its editorial, the newspaper stressed that supporting SMEs was to strengthen and support the Qatari private sector to play its role in the process of development, noting that this trend comes within the framework of a comprehensive vision and ambitious plans to diversify sources of income and gradually transition to a diversified and sustainable economy, in which SMEs play a pivotal role in achieving the country's strategic development goals. Al-Watan stated that SMEs play a vital role in advancing economic and social development, as they contribute to increasing production, creating job opportunities and addressing many challenges, adding that SMEs represent about 95 percent of the total global companies, according to the World Trade Organization, and provide between 50 and 60 percent of total employment, in addition to contributing to about 45 percent of global GDP. Al-Watan concluded its editorial by saying that the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment's briefing on the presentation on the challenges of the SMEs and the presentation of mechanisms and policies to support local products and increase their competitiveness, reflects the extent of attention paid by our wise leadership to overcome all obstacles in a way that allows this vital sector to advance. (QNA)