HRH the Crown Prince chairs the weekly Cabinet meeting

Manama, Oct. 5 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting, held remotely. The Cabinet extended its sincere condolences to the State of Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Royal Family and the people of Kuwait, following the passing of the late Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, recalling the late Amir’s significant achievements and humanitarian endeavours. The Cabinet also extended its congratulations to the Amir of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Shaikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on his accession to the throne. The Cabinet extended best wishes to HH Shaikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed, wishing him abundant health, and Kuwait further progress and development. The Cabinet extended its best wishes to students and teachers ahead of the start of the 2020-2021 academic year and recognised the contributions of teachers on Teacher’s International Day, celebrated annually on the 5th of October, particularly in the midst of the unprecedented circumstances imposed by the global spread of COVID-19. The Cabinet stressed the importance of continuing to adhere to preventative measures issued by the National Medical Taskforce to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as a civic responsibility to safeguard the well-being of all citizens and residents. In this regard, HRH the Crown Prince instructed the concerned authorities to take legal action against violators of regulations issued by the National Medical Taskforce and relevant authorities to ensure the safety of citizens and residents. The Cabinet affirmed Bahrain's support for Saudi Arabia’s counter terrorism efforts, noting that the security of Saudi Arabia and the security of the Kingdom of Bahrain remain heavily integrated. The Cabinet praised the Presidency of Saudi State Security for dismantling a terrorist cell that received military and field training inside Revolutionary Guard sites in Iran. The Cabinet reiterated that it condemns all terrorist attempts that target the security and safety of Saudi Arabia. The Cabinet welcomed the signing of the peace agreement between the Government of the Republic of Sudan and a number of armed movements, stressing that this agreement is a historic triumph towards peace in Sudan. Following the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary-General, HE Dr. Yasser bin Issa Al-Nasser, made the following remarks: 1. The Cabinet has approved the recommendations of the Drug Control Committee formed by HRH the Crown Prince and headed by HE the Minister of Finance and National Economy. The Cabinet praised the immediate measures taken by the Committee to enhance governance and accountability, improve the dispensing and inventory management of controlled drugs, as well as ensuring the availability of medicine. The Cabinet referred to the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs changes to Law No. (18) of 1997, amended by Decree-Law No. (20) of 2015 and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No. (15) of 2007, and approved new additions to the tables attached to Law No. (15) of 2007 regarding Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The Cabinet also approved a draft resolution proposed by the Committee, which aims to enhance the procedures for drug dispensing. 2. Based on the recommendations of the Civil Service Council, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince, the Cabinet approved changes to the organisational structure of the Information and eGovernment Authority. These changes include abolishing the position of Deputy CE for Information Security and Radiocommunication, transferring two directorates to the Ministry of Interior and one to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. 3. The Cabinet approved the formation of a supreme ministerial committee headed by HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister. The committee will be responsible for following up on developments within the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab Gulf states, studying Bahrain’s policies with regards to GCC joint cooperation, monitoring the implementation of decisions issued by GCC member state leaders and ministerial committees, and to propose recommendations to create new economic opportunities. 4. The Cabinet approved a draft resolution exempting the Bahrain Defence Force and Internal Security Forces imports from import VAT and customs tax fees, following the review of a memorandum submitted by HE the Minister of Interior. 5. The Cabinet approved the accession of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting. The convention creates room for Governments to modify existing bilateral tax treaties in an efficient manner to eliminate double taxation. 6. The Cabinet approved executive regulations for the Decree-Law No. (16) of 1998 concerning organ transplantation, and approved the draft decision following consideration of a memorandum prepared by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs and presented by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Committee. 7. The Cabinet approved three reports produced by the Education and Training Quality Authority and presented by HE the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs. The reports were reviewed by the Supreme Council for the Development of Education and Training, chaired by HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister. The first report assessed remote learning and training practices during COVID-19, the second reviewed the quality of schooling during COVID-19, and the third was the 2020 Annual Report. 8. The Cabinet reviewed a memorandum on Public Hospital and Primary Care Autonomy presented by the Supreme Council for Health, based on the health insurance law, and referred it to the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Financial Balance. The health insurance law aims to increase competition, enhance efficiency in public hospitals, attract investment and guarantee quality healthcare. 9. The Cabinet referred a memorandum presented by the Minister of Health on the progress made in the training of Bahrain’s health workforce during COVID-19 to the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Financial Balance. 10. The Cabinet approved the Government’s response to a proposal regarding a national centre that supports innovation in artificial intelligence and referred the Government’s response regarding means to support innovators to the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs.