Bahraini ministers highlight government priorities

His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa today submitted the Government Action Plan (GAP) 2015-2018 to the Council of Representatives for review.
Reflecting the Government of Bahrain’s strategic priorities over the next four years, the GAP focuses on bringing about sustainable change in line with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's reform project through stable and meaningful democratic development.
The result of extensive coordination amongst government entities, the GAP had been presented to the Executive Committee, under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. After that, it was submitted to the Cabinet and then the Council of Representatives.
Earlier today, following the submission of the GAP to Parliament, ministers of Follow-up Affairs Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Mutawa, Finance Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Transportation and Communications Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed and Information Affairs Isa bin Abdulrahman Al-Hammadi hosted a press conference at theGudaibiya Palace
They outlined the details of the plan and its fundamental principles, including sustainability, fairness and competitiveness, in line with the key priorities of the Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.
They further highlighted that the GAP seeks to capitalise on the Kingdom’s resources and capabilities to meet the needs of all Bahrainis, adding that the GAP comprises strategic goals based on the economic plan devised by the Economic Development Board, the findings of the National Audit Office report and other key international indicators and statistics as well as development considerations outlined during the 2014 elections by parliamentary candidates.
The ministers outlined the strategic aims and goals of the GAP, which focuses on the following six core priorities:
1. Sovereignty and rule of law
Strengthening security and stability and enhancing democratic institutions
Bolstering external relations with countries across the globe
2. Economy and finance
Establishing a strong and diverse economy, and a stable financial and monetary system
Planning strategic programmes and allocating resources efficiently
3. Human development and social services
Delivery high quality services that ensure decent living standards for all Bahrainis and enabling them to actively participate in the Kingdom’s development process
Sustaining long-term efforts to support the advancement of education, healthcare, housing, social welfare and labour market regulation
4. Infrastructure
Meeting the current and future needs of all Bahrainis by providing high quality and safe infrastructure that helps achieve sustainable economic growth
5. Environment and urban development
Ensuring the sustainable management of strategic resources in line with international standards to maintain a healthy environment for all
6. Government performance
Enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of Government performance
Enhancing communication to increase productivity of the public sector, in order to meet the needs of all Bahrainis
The ministers also announced that progress of the GAP will be periodically assessed against key performance indicators, as a core element of the Bahrain government budget, and against key elements of the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda.
They highlighted that one of the main priorities of the GAP is to ensure Bahrain maintains a strong and diverse economy and stable financial and monetary system which is resilient towards global economic challenges. They added that this would be achieved through increased public-private sector partnerships and a series of strategic programmes designed to invest in key resources and sectors that act as drivers for sustainable economic growth.