Bahrain MPs criticise subsidies decision

Bahrain lawmakers has criticised the government for implementing the subsidies redirection schemes while they were on holiday and the matter was still under study.

The Council of Representatives witnessed an intense discussion yesterday on these schemes.

Though MPs had different views on the mechanisms of implementing the redirection of subsidies, they had consensus in “protecting citizens’ interests.” 

Member of the special committee that was formed to study the matter MP Mohammed Al Ahmed said, “We were promised that any decision regarding the subsidies redirection will be taken in consensus with us, but it wasn’t. “We should reconsider the country’s priorities before implementing such a decision. The government doesn’t have a clear plan on the subsidy redirection.”

MP Ahmed Qarata warned that the council would not cooperate with the government anymore, if it continued to take such unilateral decisions.

Speaking to the press, Mr Qarata said, “MPs are not responsible for the subsidies redirection scheme of the government and its results. “We enquired about the income of oil and gas industry, but we received no answer. They refused to save the 25 - 30pc (hundreds of millions) of the government’s state budget, which is allocated for subsidising products and industries. Why was the main focus of the government on the meagre five pc that goes to subsidising products allocated for citizens?”

The First Deputy Speaker of the Council Ali Al Aradi said in his speech, “It’s unfair to leave us in the frontlines with the people of Bahrain and throw such an important file on our backs, without having any say in the implantation of the decision in the first place.”

Head of the council’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee MP Abdulrahman Buali said, “I have personally informed Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa that we don’t have to create more difficult situations in the country, as we’re already facing economic issues.”

He called upon his fellow MPs to activate their constitutional tools, mainly Article 65 of the council’s bylaws, which allows MPs to question Ministers for any failures.

MP Khalid Al Shaer called for scrapping other unnecessary expenditures. He quoted the government’s action plan and the state budget for the ongoing fiscal year saying, “It’s mentioned that BD3.5 million is allocated to purchase the residence of Bahrain’s Ambassador in Kuwait. BD600, 000 is allocated to fix our

Ambassador’s house in Egypt. Another BD558, 000 will be paid to maintain our Ambassador’s house in Washington. This is unfair. Unnecessary expenditures are almost equal to the amount allocated to subsidise meat products.”

Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and Shura Council and Parliament Affairs and Information Affairs Minister and the Official Government Spokesperson Isa bin Abdulrahman Al Hammadi, also attended the session yesterday.

In their replies to the MPs, the three Ministers separately reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between both the legislative and executive authorities.

Shaikh Ahmed said, “We are committed to serving our fellow citizens. The Parliament and we are partners in achieving these goals. The Council previously demanded the implementation of many programmes and we implemented them. But since the oil income dropped by more than 50pc lately, we must acknowledge that we are in exceptional situations.”

“We’re partners and we should discuss together the upcoming procedures to serve Bahrain. There are many opportunities in the next phase. Tourism and businessmen services are some of the areas that we are looking forward to invest in,” the Minister said while addressing the MPs.

He added, “We must show the world that our democratic experiment is successful. Democracy means different opinions and then a mutual understanding followed by good results, and that’s what we hope to accomplish in cooperation with you.”

Minister Al Zayani assured that the Ministry was monitoring the market to prevent any manipulation in the prices of meat. He revealed that “the Ministry received 2,000 complaints regarding the prices’ manipulation after the decision was implemented (since October 1).”

“192 outlets and restaurants that raised their prices were alerted and 187 out of them responded and rectified their prices. The remaining five that didn’t respond were referred to the prosecution and were shutdown,” he explained.

Minister Al Hammadi confirmed “the government is committed to implement the action plan as agreed with the council. “We have been tasked to increase the income and rationalise the expenditures. Several decisions have been taken in this regard, including resizing the Cabinet, merging government entities and the redirection of subsidies. We are implementing a sustained financial policy without harming citizens’ livelihood,” he explained.

The Minister asserted that the subsidies redirection decision was implemented with the option of reconsidering the mechanisms of implementation and compensation confirming the flexibility of applying the decision.