Cabinet holds regular weekly meeting in Qatar

HE Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Wednesday chaired the cabinet's regular meeting at its seat at the Emiri Diwan.
Following the meeting, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud made the following statement: The cabinet reviewed topics on the agenda as follows: First: The cabinet reviewed the programs, plans and mechanisms developed by ministries to implement the directives and guidelines included in the speech of HH the Emir at the opening of the Advisory Council's 42nd session, and decided that concerned authorities would take the necessary measures to follow up on the implementation of those programs, plans and mechanisms.
Second: Taking the necessary measures to issue a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 25 of 2005 on the commercial register after the cabinet looked at the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the draft law.
Under the amendment, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce's competent department will review license application and inform the applicant of the decision of the administration on the same day in which they made a request that meets all of the documents and data required.
Third: Approving the following: 1. A draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 7 of 2012 on the Educational Vouchers System.
The amendment stipulates that the Supreme Education Council (SEC) pays for educational vouchers for all enrolled Qatari students at schools chosen by SEC.
Regulations and procedures of the implementation of educational vouchers are to be issued in a decision by the minister of education and higher education.
Provisions of this law don't apply to government agencies that give their employees benefits of private tuition for their children.
2. The minister of education and higher education's draft decision on regulations and procedures for the implementation of the Educational Vouchers System.
Under the draft decision, SEC pays the value of vouchers ??to the schools in two or more installments. Tuitions include price of textbooks and student transportation fares. A student is entitled to one educational voucher in each term of the amount allocated for this term and is not entitled to another voucher for the same term if pulled from the school enrolled at or got expelled and enrolled in any other school.
3. A cabinet draft decision on Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
The Commission is headed by the minister of education and higher education, an SEC representative as vice-president, and the membership of the Commission's secretary general along with a representative from each of the ministries of foreign affairs; culture, arts and heritage; youth and sport; and environment, as well as a representative from each of Qatar Museums Authority, Qatar University, and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.
Fourth: The approval of a cabinet draft decision to establish a permanent committee to consider requests on name changes According to the draft decision, the committee is to be based at the Ministry of Interior and will comprise five members from the ministry. A decision by the minister of interior shall nominate a president, vice president and members of the committee that will have jurisdiction over requests to change the names of citizens and GCC nationals who reside in Qatar in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as requests of name changes for expatriates.
Fifth: Approving a draft annual plan for Qatar Tourism Authority to participate in exhibitions held out of Qatar.
Sixth: Approving the Scout and Guide Association of Qatar's joining of the Arab union of scouts and guides.
Seventh: The cabinet reviewed the following issues and took the necessary decisions: 1. A letter by the minister of development planning and statistics, who is also the chairman of the Permanent Population Committee, on the results of a study on the ministries' visions about the committee's annual report 2013.
2. A letter by the minister of transport on a research paper on factors influencing the increase in the use of public transport and metro network, which was submitted by the ministry in the International Association of Public Transport's (UITP) conference in Dubai in April.
3. A letter by the Ministry of Environment on the outcome of the 19th meeting of the GCC Standardization Organization's board of directors, which was held in Kuwait in May.
4. A letter by the National Committee on Arms Embargo about its 28th report for the period from January 1 to April 30.
Eighth: Taking the necessary measures to ratify: a. A cooperation agreement in education, higher education and scientific research between the governments of Qatar and Hungary.
b. A cooperation agreement in the legal field between the governments of Qatar and Cyprus.