HRH Premier chairs cabinet session

Manama, Apr. 11 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has directed to intensify field visits to cities and villages to get first-hand information about the need for services. In this regard, HRH the Prime Minister gave instructions to follow up on the needs of the Buri and Abu Baham villages, including the opening of new exits to Buri, the completion of the sewage network and the roads services in Buri, as well as the housing services in the two villages. HRH Premier tasked the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and the Minister of Housing with following up on the matter. Chairing the cabinet regular weekly session, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, HRH Premier was also informed about the needs of Qalali village regarding youth and sport facilities. Those needs were highlighted in the report presented by the Youth and Sport Affairs Minister on the visit he had made to the village following the Prime Minister's directives, Cabinet Secretary General Dr. Yasser bin Isa Al-Nasser said in a statement following the session. The session then tackled labour market issues, and reiterated its keenness to enhance the preferentiality of Bahrainis while maintaining flexibility to ensure the growth of the private sector. In this context, the Cabinet, based on a recommendation by the Executive Committee, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince, agreed to introduce an optional system that is parallel to the existing Bahrainisation drive. Under the scheme, employers wishing to increase the number of expatriate workers will pay extra fees according to specific regulations. The system stipulates that Bahrainisation is an essential requirement to keep and renew work permits for expatriates. Institutions and facilities should also confirm the number of their Bahraini staff at the beginning of the implementation of the new scheme which will apply to the overall renewal process a year after its first application. The Cabinet requested the relevant sides to take the necessary legal procedures to implement the scheme. The session also decided to adopt a unified government identity regarding the logo, colours and fonts used in correspondence to all ministries, except the ministries of Interior and Defence Affairs. Aiming to unify governmental correspondences and to reduce expenditure, the new identity will be introduced gradually until January 1, 2017. The Finance Ministry was requested to update the financial directory. The session then approved a list of 68 organisations that are classified as terrorist by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The list includes the regionally and internationally classified terror organisations, as well as local ones previously approved by the Cabinet.