Bahraini PM Khalifa bin Salman affirms support to banking sector

His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has expressed the government's keenness to boost the banking sector's liquidity as the best means to stimulate the economy.
HRH Premier urged the private sector to make optimum advantage of the available liquidity to flourish, on the one hand, and spur the national economy, on the other, especially in light of the facilities and incentives provided by the state to consolidate the kingdom's status as an investment hub.
He called for the need to adopt more initiatives to build new partnerships between the public and private sectors in implementing development projects in the kingdom, in light of the government's keen interest to create a stimulating environment that ensures the success of such joint ventures.
HRH the Prime Minister commended the role played by national banks in the economic process, and in providing the necessary liquidity to create investment opportunities.
In this regard, the Prime Minister praised the crucial role of the executive management of the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), and all national banking institutions which have succeeded in providing sufficient liquidity in cooperation with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), adding that CBB plays a major role in creating and ensuring a secure banking environment for financial institutions.
HRH Premier made the statements as he received at the Gudaibiya Palace today a number of Royal Family members, state officials and a number of executive management leaders of financial and banking institutions.
HRH the Prime Minister affirmed that doors are kept wide-open for representatives of the banking sector in the kingdom to express their opinions regarding how the state can help them to expand their operations in Bahrain.
"The government is interested in making the Bahraini investors the first beneficiaries of its economic policies, although those policies are intended to benefit both local and foreign investments," he said.
"I want a clear view and a strong voice of the financial and banking institutions regarding everything that impedes their development. Laws and policies are updatable and can be discussed as long as our national economy will be benefit," he told bankers.
HRH Premier urged CBB to contact financial and banking firms to come up with new initiatives for the aim of diversifying investment opportunities and expanding their scope.
"The national economy has been targeted through repeated attempts made to distract us and make us focus on combating terrorism at the expense of economic development," he said, calling upon the government and the private sector to join ranks in order to boost the economy.
HRH Premier reiterated the government's support to openness, which, he said, should be strengthened by security in order to be a catalyst for investment.
He expressed confidence in the national banking competencies who, he said, are now leading banking establishments in the kingdom with outstanding capabilities.