Ministerial committee discusses reducing recurrent expenses

Manama, Aug. 11 (BNA): The Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs and Rationalising Expenditure convened here today, and reviewed the implementation progress of the initiatives and recommendations of the task forces set up by the Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to reduce recurrent government expenditure. Chaired by Deputy Premier, HH Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the panel discussed the progress made so far regarding the implementation of the initiatives to reduce government spending in order to be able to thoughtfully and soundly deal with the changes undergone by the general state budget as a result of the sharp decline of the prices of oil whose revenues make up 86 percent of the government’s revenues. While implementing the Executive Committee’s initiatives, whose impacts were reflected clearly on the results of the General State Budget of 2015 and partially on those of 2016, maintaining high levels of production has been taken into account, the committee said, calling for the need to improve the quality and efficiency of government services. The panel said it had studied reviewing some fees levied on a number of government services provided for individuals and companies in order to verify their compatibility with the principle of cost recovery and collection, which will improve the quality and efficiency of those services, on the one hand, and increase the government’s non-oil revenues, on the other. The committee got reassured about the kingdom’s continuous robust investment-attracting potentials, which indicates the continuity of the government’s commitment to implementing the programmes and projects featuring in its action plan 2015-2018. This will maintain the sustainability of the kingdom’s development march and preserve the citizens’ gains and services guaranteed by the Constitution and the Law. The panel requested the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications to study ways to ensure that the civil aviation sector relies on the available resources and develops them to be able to fund its own projects away from the government support. The six task forces were established as per an edict issued on October 1, 2015, to review and identify areas where recurrent government expenditure can be reduced. They are tasked with reducing costs related the maintenance of government buildings, travel expenses and transportation, property rentals, advertisements, publications, subscriptions and stationery, auditing and IT-related expenditure, medications and medical equipment.