Six-Month Fee Suspension Backed for Bahraini Businesses

Five MPs secured Parliament’s backing on Tuesday for an urgent call to suspend electricity and water bills, municipal charges and labour fees for Bahraini business owners for six months, in a move aimed at easing pressure on firms facing economic strain after recent Iranian attacks.

The proposal, submitted by Jaleela Alawi, Mahmood Mirza Fardan, Dr Hisham Al Ashiri, Mohsen Al Asbool and Mamdouh Al Saleh, asks the government to halt the charges for a fixed period to support local businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises. Speaking during the session, Jaleela Alawi said the request comes amid “exceptional circumstances” affecting Bahrain’s economy, with effects seen across commercial activity and operating costs.

“Markets have slowed, some business activity has dropped, and operating costs have gone up in a way many firms cannot carry for long,” she said. “Bahraini business owners rely on steady income. Any disruption places them under real financial pressure, especially when expenses continue without pause.”

She said business owners remain bound by core payments, including electricity and water bills, municipal fees and labour charges, even as revenues come under strain.

“These obligations continue regardless of income,” she said. “They build up and may push some firms to scale down or stop for a period, which then feeds into the wider economy and affects jobs linked to these businesses.” Alawi said the proposed sixmonth pause is meant to give firms time to recover and adjust their operations without adding longerterm strain on public finances. “This is temporary support,” she said. “It gives business owners time to rearrange their affairs, restore activity in stages and continue operating during this period.”