President argues government to conduct austerity policy

SANA'A, March, 12 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh argued the
government to conduct austerity policy in the budget.

The policy bans government members from traveling abroad for
participating in regional and international meetings except in
urgent cases.The president affirmed importance of evaluating the
government.

The president, who chaired a government's meeting on Thursday,
directed stopping buying luxuries, cars and all unnecessary things
for regulating expenditures for facing economic conditions resulted
by effects of the global financial crises, reducing local production
of oil and dropping of its prices internationally.

He stressed on necessity of speeding up carrying out Sana'a and
Taiz airport projects, activating ministry of endowments and
Islamic affairs to perform its duties as required.

He directed holding a conference for expatriates with participation
of representatives of expatriates in different countries for
discussing means for providing all facilities they need and enhance
their role for serving the homeland.

Prime Minister Ali Mujawar presented a report in which he discussed
procedures and measures as well cabinet's decision No, 81 for 2009
for carrying out the projects funded from abroad. Increasing
capacity of the government for using foreign loans and assistances
is also included.

All ministers have been directed to use the previous loans provided
to the country in London consultative meeting for carrying out all
projects included in their ministries for ensuring completing them
on time.

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation has been
authorized to prepare regulations and foundations for establishing
executive units and choosing workers in them in all bodies and
following up commitment for implementing them.

He was also authorized to form technical team for the purpose of
evaluating the executive units, preparing mechanisms for allocating
the loans and grants provided to Yemen and directing all ministers
who did not complete constructing units for carrying out the
projects to speed up do this.

Over needs of the country from electricity and energy, the cabinet
took several decisions for carrying out electric projects and on
investments in this field.

On oil, gas and minerals, measures have been defined by issuing
cabinet's decree No. 61 for 2009 for authorizing the prime minister
to head the supreme committee for selling and marketing oil and
supervising all measures and policies in selling and marketing.

Minister of oil and minerals also was authorized to prepare the
national strategy for utilizing and investing oil, gas and minerals
wealth via clear perspective for making use of them.

Over education, the cabinet issued its order No. 29 for 2009 for
forming a committee headed by minister of social and labor affairs
and concerned ministers for preparing complete perspective for
unifying education plans in its different sectors.

MA