HRH Premier chairs weekly cabinet session

Manama, June 8 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has lauded the humanitarian and noble goals of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity as an outstanding global award that carries the name of a beloved leader who had dedicated his life in the service of his people and humanity as a whole. HRH Premier lauded the keynote speech delivered by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as he patronised, at the Isa Cultural Centre, the ceremony to honour the winner of 2013-2015 Isa Award for Service to Humanity, Prof. Achyuta Samanta, from Odisha, India, for his efforts in social care and education. HRH Premier was speaking as he chaired at the Gudaibiya Palace today, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, the regular weekly cabinet session. In a statement following the session, the Secretary-General of the Cabinet Dr. Yaser bin Essa Al-Nasser said the cabinet had congratulated Prof. Samanta on being granted the Isa Award for Service to Humanity in recognition of his efforts in the fields of social care and combating poverty and destitution. The cabinet extended appreciation to the Board of Trustees of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity, led by Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, and the award's jury for their constructive efforts. The cabinet also congratulated the graduates of the 22nd batch of the University of Bahrain (UoB), whose graduation ceremony was held under the auspices of HRH Premier, wishing them a very successful professional career. In this regard, the session commended the efforts of the UoB's Board of Trustees and Council, praising the key role of UoB and its landmark contributions to the education march in the kingdom. On housing, HRH Premier issued directives to the Ministry of Housing to distribute 138 housing units in the Arad Housing Project before the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, and distribute the remaining ones in September. The Housing Minister briefed the session on the procedures to be taken by the ministry, in coordination with the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry and the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), to implement HRH Premier's directives and finalise the procedures ahead of the distribution process. In another context, the cabinet tasked the Information Affairs and the Industry and Commerce ministries with taking the necessary procedures to prevent the use of the national flag contrary to the provisions of Article VIII of the Decree Law on the flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain which stipulate that the "Flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain shall not be used for commercial purposes". The issue was raised following the use of the national flag on some commercial products, which does not commensurate with its symbolism. On agriculture, the session instructed the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to submit a report on the extent of the spread of the red palm weevil insect in the kingdom, and the preventive actions it had taken to prevent its spread, in line with the government's keenness to protect the kingdom's agricultural products. In a related context, HRH the Prime Minister issued directives to adopt alternative options to reduce the kingdom's reliance on imported food through encouraging investment in food industries, especially the home-grown ones, and promote it, which will boost national industries and contribute to achieving food security. On energy, HRH Premier directed to increase the use of solar power, and requested the Energy Ministry to take advantage of the latest scientific developments and findings of research centres to make optimum use of this energy, being among the renewable and eco-friendly sources of energy. Concerning infrastructure projects, the cabinet reviewed the implementation progress of a number of projects, including the flyover being constructed in Hamad Town, stretching from Roundabout 18 to the Khalifa bin Salman Avenue, and leading to Manama, in the north, and Zallaq, in the south. In this regard, HRH the Prime Minister stressed that infrastructure projects and their facilities should meet the technical standards, as well the development needs for many years. The cabinet endorsed the kingdom's access to the Agreement for the establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Academy as an international organisation aiming to combat corruption and prepare and train qualified competencies, and decided to take the necessary constitutional procedures to finalise the ratification process. The session also approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Manama and the Yinchuan Region in China, and commissioned the Capital Governor to sign it. The cabinet was informed about two memoranda submitted by the Ministerial Committee on Legal Affairs on a draft law on private health institutions and another on the pharmaceutical profession and centres which were referred to the Council of Representatives to examine them urgently. The cabinet decided to take the necessary legal and constitutional procedures concerning the two bills, whose constitutional period expired without being examined by the Parliament.