Qatar's cabinet holds regular weekly session

HE the Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani presided over the cabinet weekly regular session, held today at the Emiri Diwan.
After the meeting, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud stated the following: At the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet was briefed on the outcome of the 26th session of the Arab League Council held, at the summit's level, in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh on last March 28 and 29, stressing the State of Qatar's support for all that would push forward the joint Arab action and realize Arab solidarity and cooperation among Arab states for the good of their peoples.
The Cabinet praised the speech HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani gave at the opening session of the Summit and its contents of clear visions and positions towards the different Arab issues.
Afterwards the Cabinet discussed topics tabled on agenda as follows: The Cabinet reviewed the annual report of the Standing Committee on Drugs and Alcohol on the 4th phased plan for the implementation the National Anti-Drug Strategy.
The report contained three parts, namely the supply-reduction strategy, demand-reduction strategy (preventive education) and the treatment and rehabilitation strategy. Data included in the reports explained the cases that have been seized and the efforts made by concerned bodies in the fight against drugs by arresting many trafficking gangs and seizing narcotic substances while increasing fighting efforts and enhancing the capacities of personnel working in this field, cooperation and coordination on the international and local levels, projects, programmes, activities carried out for awareness of the harms and hazards of narcotics and activities made by concerned bodies in the state in the field of treatment and rehabilitation.
The Committee recommended the assertion of the drafting of the National Anti-Drug Strategy 2016-2020, continuation in the modernization and development of drugs fighting devices, upgrading the level and performance of personnel working in this field, promotion of the civil society institutions' role and the importance of effective partnership among the family, the school, the mosque and the media to ensure a safe and drug-free society.
The Cabinet took the necessary measures towards the issuance of a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 8 of 1996 on endowments after the Cabinet took note of an Advisory Council recommendation on that draft law.
The Cabinet approved a draft law on the reconciliation law in crimes stipulated in some municipal laws and decided to refer it to the Advisory Council.
According to the provisions of the draft law municipalities and competent departments at the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning may resort to reconciliation in crimes stipulated in the municipal laws before a final verdict thereon was passed whenever the crime is punishable by fine or imprisonment and fine in case that the text allows for choosing one of the two punishments. Reconciliation shall not be applied in crimes punishable by mandatory imprisonment.
Reconciliation in such crimes shall be made in exchange for the payment of an amount equal to a quarter of the maximum limit of the fine's amount set for the violation within seven days after the violation was reported. Reconciliation after the passage of that period shall be made in exchange for the payment of half of the maximum amount of the fine set for it. No reconciliation shall be made with the violator before the correction and removal of the violating works, the payment of due fees and the restoration of the situation to the previous situation before the perpetration of the crime at the expenses of the violator.
 The Cabinet approved giving the right to benefit from the Farmers Markets Scheme (Phase 1) of Qatar Development Bank (QDB).
The Farmers Scheme is a commercial project providing for the allocation of a number of plots with varying areas to deliver commercial services in the different farm compounds in the state.
Approved the licensing of Qatar Public Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) to benefit from some plots of land in the 3rd Industrial Areas in Mesaieed to establish electricity and water production plants.
Approved the following: A cabinet draft resolution amending the regulation of some administrative units of the Customs Public Authority and defining their functions.
A Finance Minister draft resolution establishing sections at the administrative units of the Customs Public Authority and defining their functions.
The Cabinet also approved: A Cabinet draft resolution amending the regulation of some administrative units of the Ministry of Environment and defining their functions.
A draft resolution by the Ministry of Environment establishing sections at the administrative units of the Ministry of Environment and defining their functions.
A draft memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Justice in the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Justice in the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.
A draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the legal sector between the Ministry of Justice in the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Justice in the Republic of Croatia.