HRH Crown Prince attends 2018 Government Forum

Manama, Oct. 28 (BNA): Under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today attended the 2018 Government Forum, held at the Isa Cultural Centre. HRH the Prime Minister highlighted the government’s commitment to continue improving and modernising government services through a wide range of measures. HRH the Prime Minister also emphasised the government’s aim to ensure that innovation, efficiency and fairness are driving forward the Kingdom’s development. HRH the Prime Minister welcomed HRH the Crown Prince’s initiatives to develop government efficiency, and noted the importance of the Government Forum in this regard. His Royal Highness added that the prosperity of the nation and its people underpins all government efforts. His Royal Highness also conveyed his appreciation to all government officials for their tireless efforts to serve the Kingdom’s development. HRH the Crown Prince then highlighted that, as the most important government event of the year, the Government Forum represents a vital platform to ensure that Bahrain’s citizens remain at the heart of the Kingdom’s development efforts. HRH the Crown Prince stressed that the Fiscal Balance Program, designed to align non-oil government revenues with strong economic growth; improved delivery of public services for citizens; and acceleration in development and living standards driven by innovative economic policies, are key priorities underpinning ongoing development efforts. HRH the Crown Prince stressed the importance of continuing to encourage and promote innovative ideas that help to improve public services and drive efficiency, and emphasised the central role Bahrain’s work force plays in delivering on strategic priorities and goals. HRH the Crown Prince concluded by reaffirming the role of the Government Forum in strengthening coordination across government, and extended his thanks to public sector employees for their ongoing contribution to meeting key goals within the Government Action Plan. In an opening address, the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs, His Excellency Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, acknowledged the role of His Majesty the King in ensuring that citizens’ interests remain central to government policy. His Excellency noted that this Government Forum offers a vital platform for government officials to assess and evaluate the progress of policy outcomes, including the outcomes of a series of recent government workshops which delivered 29 policies to be implemented through 106 initiatives. His Excellency went on to highlight that this year’s forum takes place at a critical juncture as the Kingdom begins implementing the Fiscal Balance Program aimed at eliminating the budget deficit by 2022. HRH the Prime Minister handed out awards during the Government Forum in recognition of the outstanding performance of several government departments. The awarded entities are as follows: Educational Excellence Award for outstanding institutional performance: Al-Orooba Primary Girls School Customer Service Excellence Award for customer support via Tawasul: • Ministry of Works • Ministry of Housing • Electricity and Water Authority • Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism • Capital Governorate • Northern Governorate • Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications • Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs • Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities • Education & Training Quality Authority • Bahrain Institute of Public Administration Government Best Practices Award: • Ministry of Foreign Affairs • National Health Regulatory Authority • Labour Market Regulatory Authority