His Royal Highness got separate briefings from the respective Ministers and issued directives to speed up the process at all levels in ensuring the delivery of the public utility services.
During the visit, His Royal Highness emphasised the importance of continuing to develop a structured long-term housing policy, which will encourage private sector partnerships, thereby contributing to the successful realisation of housing projects without creating additional burdens on the state or citizens.
His Royal Highness added that the purpose of these housing projects is important to the social policy of Bahrain. He underlined that all citizens throughout the kingdom are equally entitled to housing as with any public service provided by the state.
During a tour of the ministry, including a number of directorates and departments, His Royal Highness was briefed on current procedures and services provided. He subsequently commended the efforts of all staff within the ministry, noting their determination and dedication in fulfilling their duties in meeting the needs of the public.
His Royal Highness also met a number of citizens visiting the ministry and listened to their views on the services provided. In doing so, His Royal Highness emphasised the importance of receiving and acting on the feedback of customers as an assessment of performance within ministry, in line with the reforms led by His Majesty King Hamad that place importance on transparency and improving the services provided to Bahraini citizens.
His Royal Highness said the efforts of the government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa the Prime Minister, sought to meet the requirements of the citizens of Bahrain and have made significant achievements, notably due to the commitment by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister. His Royal Highness further added that he looked forward to working with His Royal Highness the Prime Minister and the government to provide all the neceassary support.
His Royal Highness said he will focus on working in coordination with ministries across the government for the effective planning and implementation of projects, whilst taking into consideration feedback from the general public.
His Royal Highness, then, received a briefing from the Minister of Housing, Bassem Yaqoub Al Hamer, on the current projects and targets for the ministry. The minister said there were 55,000 outstanding requests for housing, of which 45% have exceeded the five year waiting limit. The outstanding requests will be met by projects which are due to be implemented over the next five years at a cost of BD2.3 billion; which is a big challenge when compared to the 100,000 housing units that have been built since the 1960s at the cost of BD 3billion.
The minister thanked His Royal Highness for visiting the Ministry of Housing, noting that it provided motivation for the staff, and thanked him for his follow up on the details of the work of the ministry along with His Royal Highness’ valuable remarks that will contribute to further improvements in services.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, also visited to the Ministry of Works, as part of the series of visits to government ministries.
His Royal Highness was met by the Minister of Works, Essam Khalaf, and senior officials who briefed him on the progress of the Ministry’s work and its goals in line with Economic Vision 2030, as well as key performance indicators it applies in its various projects.
His Royal Highness noted the importance of establishing a solid platform for integrated infrastructure that meets citizens’ expectations and ensures development across various sectors. His Royal Highness stated that the Ministry is performing an important role in achieving this and has demonstrated high levels of cooperation with other parts of government.
His Royal Highness went on to note that that both quality and the flexibility to accommodate future increases in capacity must be taken into consideration as part of the current road network projects. His Royal Highness also commended the efforts of the ministry staff in driving various projects.
His Royal Highness also spoke of the Tender Board and its role in increasing the competitiveness and performance of contractors engaged by the ministry, reducing the cost of projects while also increasing the number undertaken. In this regard, His Royal Highness said it was important that projects with external importers were thoroughly supervised to ensure sustainability.
His Royal Highness called for the Kingdom of Bahrain’s efforts towards further progress to be competitive and lead to improved performance and productivity, building a dynamic and sustainable economy, for current and future generations. He also stressed the need for harmony between visions for projects and plans, and the need to build on existing foundations for developments to ensure sustainability in all areas.
His Royal Highness also toured directorates and departments at the ministry. He thanked the staff he met for their dedication, commitment to their work, and its continued improvement.
The Minister of Works thanked His Royal Highness for the visit, which served as further motivation to deliver on the goals set by the ministry to enhance Bahrain’s infrastructure.