Parliament to debate plan for specialised training of finance staff

TDT | Manama

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A proposal to expand specialist training and secondments for civil servants involved in accounting, bookkeeping and audit oversight will be debated in Parliament on Tuesday.

Submitted by MPs Jaleel a Alwi, Dr Hisham Al Asheeri, Has san Bokhamas, Mohsen Al Asbool and Khalid Buanaq, the plan calls for structured training and work placements tailored to employees responsible for professional oversight of the accounting and audit sector.

The Services Committee has recommended approval, saying the proposal aims to improve the quality of financial records and reporting. It noted that some staff in over sight roles lack relevant professional certification s and said stronger expertise is needed as Bahrain advances projects linked to company taxation.

In its response, the Civil Service Bureau said staff training already operates within a comprehensive legal and administrative framework. It cited the Civil Service Law of 2010 and executive regulations that require government entities to provide field-related training, with the bureau responsible for setting the overall training system and approving missions and courses within approved budgets.

The bureau said training must align with career paths, organisational goals, performance evaluations and state policy. It added that government entities are responsible for preparing and implementing their own training plans, including scholarships and programmes leading to academic degrees and professional certifications, subject to bureau review. The bureau said its response was preliminary, with the government’s final position to be submitted once the proposal is formally referred.

The Ministry of Education told the committee that the approach outlined in the proposal is already in place through its annual training plan. It said staff participate in courses, workshops, conferences and academic programmes linked to their roles, with nominations reviewed by the Civil Service Bureau. Training, it added, is delivered within budget limits and in line with existing regulations.

The Services Committee said its recommendation was based on the public interest and the need to strengthen professional financial oversight.