Economy on right track: Government

Manama : The weekly Cabinet meeting held yesterday reviewed the latest economic indicators, which showed that the national economy as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) is growing at a rate of 3.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2016. 

Figures also indicated that non-oil exports had increased by 17 per cent compared to the same period last year, with the trade deficit decreasing by about 5 per cent compared to the second quarter of 2016.

The same period also witnessed the issuance of 15 industrial permits and the generation of 778 job opportunities, a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism said.

Security measures lauded

Referring to a presentation by the Minister of Interior on Sunday, HRH Premier, who chaired the weekly cabinet session, lauded the minister’s meeting with various social segments for strengthening community partnership on issues related to the nation and the citizens.

HRH Premier hailed the security efforts that resulted in carrying out a successful pre-emptive security operations that led to foiling of a number of crimes which the terrorists were intending to commit across the Kingdom.

In this regard, the session stressed the importance of national responsibility in safeguarding comprehensive security in the Kingdom, commended the efforts of the security authorities and condemned, in the strongest terms, the criminal terrorist acts, and those planning and committing them.

The cabinet discussed amending the Court of Cassation Law in order to unify appeal procedures of civil and family verdicts, as outlined in the memorandum presented by the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, and decided to refer the matter to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.

The session agreed to create a new directorate at the Ministry of Finance to be in charge of following up on the implementation of the government’s policies and procedures regarding the management and structuring of the public debt according to best international practices as recommended by the Civil Service Bureau in the memorandum presented by the Deputy Premier and Deputy Chairman of the Civil Service Council.

The Cabinet approved the ratification of two agreements between the Bahrain and Egypt on cooperation in the field of commercial maritime navigation and on the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion and referred two draft-laws on them to the Legislative Branch.

The session also endorsed the ratification of a cooperation agreement between Bahrain and the Government and Cyprus on the fight against terrorism, organised crime, trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, illegal migration and other criminal offences stipulated in the Convention, and referred the ratification bill to the Council of Representatives.

Bills reviewed

The cabinet reviewed two bills, drafted based on proposals by the Council of Representatives, including a draft-law on amending Article (56) of the Traffic Law promulgated by Law 23/2014, and another on amending Article (1) of Law 32/2010 with regards to  Financial Disclosure.

The bills were referred to the Representatives Council, along with two memoranda including the government’s opinions on them and highlighted by the Deputy Premier and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.