Gudaibia Palace: The Cabinet on Monday spelled out a strict financial discipline to utilize the budgetary projections at the optimum levels during 2015-16.
The Cabinet was reviewing a memo presented by the Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Financial Affairs and Rationalising Expenditures Deputy Premier Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa on the bases for preparing the budget.
The steps include the estimated oil and gas prices, ministries’ commitment to reducing spending and not accepting to allocate any additional funds that are not included in the final state budget, re-directing government subsidies, implementing a strategy to achieve positive growth rates in the tourism, logistical services and transportation, as well as industry and developing laws to improve the kingdom’s investment atmosphere.
The cabinet assigned the same ministerial committee to prepare the general state budget according to the above-mentioned bases, in coordination with the relevant sides.
HRH Premier also ordered the budget be prepared on the detailed programmes of ministries and government departments, according to clear performance indicators that allow the close follow-up of the GAP implementation process.
During the same session, the cabinet reviewed the vital and strategic projects in the housing, municipal affairs, urban planning, electricity, water, sanitation, health, roads, transportation, education, trade and culture sectors, following a memo presented by Deputy Premier and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Urbanisation and Infrastructure. The memo also included a report on the achievements of the Ministerial Committee for Services and Infrastructure between 2011 and 2014.
The cabinet approved the panel’s recommendations, according to which the relevant minister should submit a detailed report in case a project is delayed for more than three months, applications to conduct a study or get a licence should be responded to within a limited time frame and a joint public-private sector company should be set up to finance infrastructure and services of strategic projects.