HRH Premier attends joint executive-legislature committee meeting

Manama, June 27 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has extended deepest thanks and appreciation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for his directives to re-think the two pension laws, stressing keenness to reach consensus on them in order to ensure the sustainability of retirement and insurance funds and preserve the rights retirees and affiliates. The Prime Minister was speaking while attending the first meeting of the government-parliamentary committee in charge of discussing the two pension laws, held at his request in the presence of the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al-Mulla, and Shura Council Chairman, Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh. HRH Premier outlined the government’s visions, approach and mechanisms to achieve public interests and preserve the rights of all parties, in cooperation with the Shura and Representatives councils. The meeting reviewed the broad lines of the government-parliamentary committee’s work aimed at restoring balance to pension funds and making them more capable of honouring their role towards the retirees in the present and the future. HRH Premier lauded the sound royal directives to reconsider the two pension laws, and to seriously address the situation of the pension and insurance funds to ensure their sustainability, given their utmost importance in the lives of their affiliates. The Prime Minister affirmed his keenness to put forward the executive programmes that ensure the implementation of HM the King’s directives regarding pension funds, lauding the “constructive and fruitful” cooperation between the executive and legislative branches, and the landmark gains it has yielded for the nation and the citizens. HRH Premier stressed that the joint committee’s work should be based on the principles of preserving the pensioners’ rights and ensuring the pension funds’ sustainability, development and continuous services. "The pension funds include the people's money, and it is the duty of everyone to preserve and develop them through improving their conditions, especially in light of the regional and global economic situation, and the serious challenges it creates,” HRH Premier said. “The government is committed to transparency and openness in dealing with pension funds, like other issues, and has been keen to make sure that Bahrainis have their voice and opinion heard in this matter through their representatives in the Council of Representatives, and we will, through the joint committee, come out with a consensus that strikes a balance between the requirement of pension funds’ sustainability and the preservation of citizens' pension rights,” he added. "I was keen to participate in the first joint government-parliamentary meeting to discuss amendments to pension laws because of the utmost importance of pensions as they concern a large segment of the Bahraini people, to whose service and comfort we share responsibility. Let us reach consensus and understanding on this issue, like the previous major issues, to ensure the interests of all and consolidate the democratic approach we have adopted in all our affairs,” he said. The Prime Minister gave directives to the government team to the joint committee to cooperate fully with the representatives of the legislative branch, be transparent with them and inform them about the current situation of pension and insurance funds to reach consensual formulas and sustainable solutions. The delegation of the Legislative Branch expressed thanks and appreciation to HRH the Prime Minister for his directives regarding the amendments to the two pension laws, and formation of a government team to discuss them with the legislature. The speaker expressed thanks to HRH Premier for the government's cooperation with the legislature, hailing the Premier’s constant directives to strengthen cooperation between the two sides. Al-Mulla also expressed thanks to the Prime Minister for calling for the important meeting, which, he said, embodies HRH Premier’s commitment to partnership, and keenness to ensure that the national decision-making process is consensual. Shura Council chairman extended, on behalf of Shura members, thanks and appreciation to HRH the Prime Minister for his keenness to reach “dynamic and consensual” solution to the pension issue. He also affirmed the Shura Council’s appreciation of HRH Premier’s constant directives to ministers to cooperate with the Legislative Branch.