The monitoring report continues to reveal the most prominent violations and abuses
The Bureau of Audit issued the eighteenth annual report for the professional year 2020/2021. As (97) control missions were completed, according to which (142) reports were issued, in addition to (35) reports. Follow-up with the aim of ensuring that the bodies covered by the oversight implement the recommendations contained in previous reports and address aspects of the audit The shortcomings indicated by the Bureau's observations and recommendations.
These tasks included various economic, social, service, health, environmental and other sectors, as a comprehensive audit approach was adopted. Through the implementation of horizontal oversight tasks on strategic issues, in addition to the implementation of a number of oversight tasks On topics of importance in light of the developments of the Corona pandemic (Covid-19).
Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, Speaker of Parliament, praised the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the beloved King of the country, in preserving public money and devoting the principles of the rule of law and institutions.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives affirmed that the legislative institution is keen to perform its tasks and exercise its legislative and legal powers in accordance with The constitution and the law, and what is required by the national interest, in dealing with what was stated in the report of the Office of Financial Supervision and administration with professionalism, transparency and national responsibility.
Expressing the appreciation that the House of Representatives attaches to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, due to the interest and keenness of His Highness in developing the constructive government work methodology based on the principles of transparency and institutional oversight, and within close follow-up, it enhances the process of cooperation and coordination between the government and the Council of Ministers. deputies.
This came during her meeting with Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, President of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control, Where she received the eighteenth annual report of the Audit Bureau for the professional year 2020-2021. According to Article (19) of his law, and in the presence of Representative Abdulnabi Salman, First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Deputy Ali Zayed, the second deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, and deputy Ahmed Sabah Al-Salloum, head of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.
Praising the vital role played by the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau in promoting the principles and foundations of integrity and transparency And the preservation of public money, and the abundance of national cadres and distinguished expertise that practice their work with full responsibility and honesty, High competence in drafting oversight reports, in order to devote to its legal and professional role.
During the meeting, ways to enhance cooperation and coordination between the Bureau and the House of Representatives in the field of oversight and accountability were discussed Accountability and consolidation of the principles of integrity, honesty and professionalism in accordance with applicable international standards.
Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Shura Council, praised the high professionalism that characterizes the reports of the Audit Bureau. Financial and administrative, stressing that the work of the Bureau reflects the high level of transparency, which is one of the most important features The prosperous era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the beloved monarch of the country, with what contributes In the governance of the performance of government ministries and agencies, as an indicator of the progress of these bodies.
This came when the Shura Council Chairman received yesterday, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Chief of the Court Financial and Administrative Control, to whom a copy of the eighteenth report for the year ending 2020-2021 of the Bureau was handed over, Where he expressed his appreciation for the efforts made to prepare the report, and the cooperation shown by all concerned parties in providing information And statements, under the direction of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Council Ministers, noting the importance of working to address the aspects covered in the report, seeking to avoid them and adopting the implementation of the recommendations contained therein, and follow-up on the actions taken in this regard within the work mechanisms in the next stage.
For his part, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Shura Council Speaker, Ali The Council's cooperation and keenness to develop regulations and legislation that enhance the principle of transparency in the Kingdom Bahrain, in a way that supports the work of institutions and advances their role.
For his part, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau, confirmed that the work of The oversight carried out by the Bureau included the various economic, social, service, health, environmental and other sectors, as it adopted an approach Comprehensive auditing through the implementation of horizontal control tasks on strategic issues, in addition to the implementation of a number of tasks Oversight on topics of importance in light of the developments of the Corona pandemic (Covid-19).
He explained that (97) oversight missions were completed, according to which (142) reports were issued, in addition to (35) ) A follow-up report with the aim of ensuring that the bodies covered by the oversight have implemented the recommendations contained in previous reports Addressing the shortcomings indicated by the Bureau's observations and recommendations.
And he indicated that the follow-up work resulted in the Bureau verifying the implementation of the bodies covered by its supervision (or their initiation of Implementation) about 84% of the total recommendations issued within its reports, which is a positive indicator of The authorities' good handling of observations and recommendations reflects the effectiveness of the measures taken by the Bureau in this regard Especially related to the need to develop clear and specific plans for the implementation of those recommendations, in addition to the fact that the follow-up work covered two years instead of one year as before.
Sheikh Ahmed said that the support and care that the Diwan receives from His Majesty the King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the country, enabled him to perform his duties efficiently, alluding to the interest Which is entrusted by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Deputy The Supreme Commander, and his directives to follow up the implementation of the recommendations and observations contained in the Bureau's reports to the entities covered by the oversight.
He stressed that the Bureau will continue to perform its duties entrusted to it by law, and as required by the national interest, with Continuing to implement development plans and programs, focusing on investing in the human element, and expanding the provision of oversight services Especially talking about survey auditing, digital transformation, effective use of technology, and others.
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Undersecretary of the Bureau for Administrative Control, and Fayeq Guest of the Bureau's Undersecretary for Financial Control, and Dr. Issa Al Nuaimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Control.
Implementation of 84% of the recommendations of the previous BSA reports
The annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020-2021 revealed that the Bureau followed up during the professional year 2020 2021 - The results of implementing the recommendations contained in his supervisory reports that he previously issued, and the aforementioned follow-up work resulted For the Bureau’s verification of the implementation (or initiation of implementation) of the bodies covered by its supervision, a rate of 84% Approximately out of the total of those recommendations, with an increase of 4% compared to the rate of implementation of the Bureau's recommendations during the year professional year 2019-2020, and 18% compared to the implementation rate during the professional year 2018-2019, which reflects the interest which the government agencies assign to the entities covered by the Bureau's control to address the shortcomings that have been identified and to strengthen procedures Internal control over its operations, and is a positive indicator of the interest and good dealing of the authorities with the observations and recommendations of the Bureau. And its success in implementing what would take the appropriate procedures objectively and transparently to achieve the maximum degree of control over the Public money and ensuring its proper management in the best way, and the Bureau seeks through this to increase the percentage of execution by the authorities covered by his oversight of the recommendations, in a way that contributes positively to improving the services provided to citizens and residents in the Kingdom of Bahrain And the development of all elements of government work.
Government agencies' delay in developing a national plan for digital transformation
She revealed the most prominent observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021. Regarding monitoring digital transformation processes, the delay in developing a national plan for digital transformation that includes all parties Most government agencies have not developed the necessary plans for the electronic transformation of their services, despite the issuance of A decision of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology in this regard since June 30, 2020. It was found that the Information and e-Government Authority had not finished preparing and developing plans for disaster recovery and business continuity. The Information and eGovernment Authority was late in renewing some contracts for the supply of electronic systems licenses, despite the importance of validity Their validity period, as it shows that a period of time has elapsed, in some cases, 8 months, since the expiration of contracts Some of them are up to date of renewal, which may result in unavailability of updates and technical support and increase risks related to the security of these systems.
Concerning the oversight of the governance and management of information technology, the report indicated that the management of information systems is not adopted There are no international standards related to the governance and management of information technology services, information security and cybersecurity A comprehensive assessment of the technical and security risks and threats associated with many IT operations and resources, which affects Negatively in the ability of the ministry to put in place preventive controls to address or reduce the possibilities of exposure to it and reduce its impact to the acceptable level.
For its part, the Information and e-Government Authority said, with reference to the eighth annual report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau Ten for the 2020-2021 professional year. The Information and eGovernment Authority would like to clarify that work is underway to develop the network to connect the Recovery and Lift Center Its efficiency, the completion of technical equipment and its opening in January 2022. Pointing out that the transfer of systems for dual operation between the main data center and the recovery center began during the first quarter from 2022. And directing government agencies to transfer their main systems to the recovery center according to a common framework.
As for the renewal of some contracts for the supply of licenses for electronic systems, it indicated that it had been sent Reminders by e-mail by the financial system to the project manager 6 months before the end date The contract, stressing that the concerned departments must start the procedures for issuing the tender within a period of no less than 6 months months before the project start date so that the contract management department can obtain the necessary approvals.
And I directed the Contract Management Department to adhere to the time plan, involve it with all concerned parties, and expedite the process To obtain the approvals required from them within a period of not less than one month from the start of the contract, and to send notices to the bidders As a result of the evaluation of bids within 3 days of receiving the awarding decision without delay and follow-up of the concerned department in a manner Cyclic
28% decrease in revenues... and 15 billion dinars public debt
The annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020-2021 regarding the state's consolidated final account revealed a decrease Revenues increased by 28% from 2902 million dinars in 2019 to 2082 million dinars in 2020 , as a result of the drop in oil prices, and then oil and natural gas revenues from 2090 million dinars to 1233 million dinars, and recurrent expenses decreased (without emergency and new expenses related to the Corona virus “Covid -19"), by 2% from 3334 million dinars in 2019 to 3267 million dinars in In 2020, the actual deficit between state revenues and expenditures increased by 144% from 684 million dinars in 2019 to 1671 million dinars in 2020.
The report indicated that the state's public debt balance, as of December 31, 2020, amounted to about 15 percent. billion dinars, compared to about 13.6 billion dinars in 2019, at a rate of 115% from GDP for the year 2020 (at current prices), compared to 93% for the year 2019, and the total benefits amounted to Loans paid in 2020 amounted to about 665 million dinars, compared to about 644 million dinars for the year 2019, in addition to borrowing from some ministries and government agencies without their debts being included in the balance The public debt registered with the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, and it has reached as much as possible of those loans for a year 2020 is about an amount of 2398 million dinars.
As for the future generations reserve account, the report indicated that the assets of the future generations reserve account decreased by 43%. From 918 million US dollars in 2019 to 521 million US dollars in 2020, As a result of stopping the deduction from the allocated oil revenues in favor of the reserve account for future generations, even temporarily End of fiscal year 2020. In addition to the deduction of $450 million from the account, the generational reserve account liabilities also increased Coming by 51% from 535 thousand US dollars in 2019 to 808 thousand US dollars in In 2020, profit and other comprehensive income decreased by 44% from $78.9 million in 2019 to $43.9 million in 2020.
For its part, the Ministry of Finance and National Economy said: With reference to the eighth annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control For the professional year 2020-2021, the Ministry of Finance and National Economy would like to note that the decrease in revenues With a rate of (28%), it came as a result of the decrease in oil revenues, due to the decline in international oil prices during the year 2020.
And about the observation related to the increase in public debt, which reached 15 billion Bahraini dinars in 2020 Compared to 13.6 billion dinars in 2019, with a rate of (115%) of the GDP the total for the year 2020 (at current prices), the Ministry of Finance and National Economy affirms its commitment to the provisions of Decree-Law No. ( 27) for the year 2020 amending some provisions of Decree-Law No. (15) for the year 1977 regarding the issuance of development bonds, The first article of which specified the ceiling for government borrowing within the limits of 15,000 million Bahraini dinars, as confirmed The Ministry that all government loans and other public debt instruments issued by the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, whether Within the limits of the public debt ceiling or under separate legislation, it is included in the total public debt register 14955 million Bahraini dinars at the end of 2020.
As for loans that are not included in the balance of the public debt registered at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, those Loans are for government agencies with an independent budget that borrow based on the provision of Paragraph (b) of Article (108) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which states that “It is permissible for local bodies from municipalities Or public institutions to lend, borrow, or guarantee a loan in accordance with their own laws. The Ministry notes that these debts are not repaid from the state's general budget, nor is it guaranteed or guaranteed The Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain guarantees these loans, and therefore these loans are not included in the debt balance in both respects general government of the Kingdom.
With regard to the decrease in the assets of the Future Generations Reserve Account by 43%, according to Decree-Law No. (23) for the year 2020 regarding disposing of part of the funds of the Future Generations Reserve Account, an amount has been withdrawn 450 million US dollars from the account, in order to support the state’s general budget to limit the repercussions of the (Covid -19) And in support of the national efforts to address the exceptional pandemic during the remainder of the fiscal year 2020.
As for the decline in total profits and other comprehensive income by 44% from $78.9 million US in 2019 to 43.9 million US dollars in 2020, it is important It should be noted that the Future Generations Reserve Fund was able to continue recording positive returns despite the circumstances The unprecedented global exceptional by rebalancing the portfolio by achieving profits of $ 43.9 million during the year 2020 .
There are no studies to determine the number of housing units and housing projects
The most important observations made in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021 were about oversight. On the operations related to housing projects, the Ministry does not rely on studies or clear bases to determine the number of housing units And the housing projects that are included in its strategic plans, in order to enable it to set realistic goals that are compatible with it With the current and future needs of citizens and with the Ministry's available resources, the Housing Projects Planning and Design Department relies on Architectural measurements specifying the type, number, and area of the rooms and facilities of the housing units, without any evidence Reviewing and updating it periodically to ensure that it meets the needs of the Bahraini family and its way of life, taking into account the variables Which may occur to the family, and it was noted regarding the settlement of the land allocated for the Al-Hunainiyah housing project and the preparation of layers The results of some of the tests that were made to measure the pressure of the layers are below the required level, without any presence It shall be established that the contractor has re-compressed and examined it again to ensure that it reaches the approved minimum pressure ratio which is 95%.
It was also found that the actual periods for the implementation of housing projects exceeded the periods specified in the contracts for a period of 20 months In some cases, issuance of decisions extending the implementation periods of most housing projects, which led to delays In distributing housing units within these projects to the beneficiaries.
For its part, the Ministry of Housing said, with reference to the 18th Annual Report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau for the year Professional 2020-2021, the Ministry of Housing would like to clarify that the mechanism for determining the locations of housing projects and the number of their units included in its strategic plan to implement the objectives of the government program, based on several technical and demographic criteria, derived from Information provided by the Ministry's database, in addition to initiatives to measure beneficiary satisfaction.
The ministry stated that the ministry has an information system that shows the density of housing requests at the level of the Kingdom, and through This system is to determine the need of each province of projects and the number of housing units that contribute to meet The largest possible number of housing requests, noting that it has provided thousands of housing units in various governorates And the regions and villages of the Kingdom in recent years, based on the intensity of requests made clear by the database.
She stated that the cumulative experience through the implementation of 8 housing cities and dozens of residential complex projects, and ongoing studies The development of the components of the housing unit resulted in the selection of several models, in order to achieve a balance between the basic needs For Bahraini families, and to meet the largest possible number of housing requests, noting that the models of housing units It has witnessed continuous development in terms of area and components since the start of the housing process in the Kingdom, and according to technical and engineering foundations. Where the ministry presented dozens of different designs, which simulated the needs of families in every era of time different.
And she added that the designs of the housing units took into account the possibility of expansion by up to 30% in some of them Forms, which gives the citizen the necessary flexibility to expand according to the future needs of each citizen, as confirmed by the Ministry The basic areas and land size of the approved housing units have become a standard or measure for a large number of residential units private sector projects.
The ministry also stated that it uses the available database to prepare studies to implement plans and programs according to clear foundations It aims to achieve optimal utilization of the stock of land available for the implementation of housing projects in each governorate, in terms of: number and area, and at the same time contribute to meeting the largest number of requests.
She added that the official periodic reports and statistics issued by the authority concerned with the population census are used. As a primary source of information, which shows the average number of family members, their ages, and the population growth rate in studies Feasibility and relevant studies for the implementation of housing projects, in order to achieve the required efficiency to meet current and future demands.
The ministry indicated that the methodology for implementing housing projects is also derived from the outputs of studies related to housing policies. In cooperation with specialized departments of the United Nations, which was completed in 2002, or the outputs of studies related to housing policies in 2017, which recommended extrapolating the needs of citizens in the designs of housing units, and how to Optimal utilization of the Kingdom's resources in providing social housing projects.
She also indicated that the Ministry's Policy and Strategic Planning Department is the department concerned with updating housing plans and studies. It surveys the opinions of citizens, and determines their needs through periodic studies and polls, which are conducted by this administration with the aim of Improving housing services, as well as making sure, through studies and surveys, that projects and programs are being implemented according to the established housing plans.
With regard to updating the planning and design of housing projects for architectural measurements to determine the type, number and area of rooms and facilities The housing unit to ensure that it meets the needs of the Bahraini family, its way of life and the changes that occur to it, the ministry stated. According to the standard specifications of the components of the housing unit, it builds equal units as possible in terms of building area and size It also works through the standard specifications of the components of the residential unit to reduce the discrepancy between the units in the various units types, in order to achieve equality among all beneficiaries.
Based on continuous communication with citizens through the various channels of the ministry, and reviewing their proposals The Ministry has already developed housing unit designs in a number of new housing projects.
The ministry added that the ministry's efforts are not only focused on providing housing units, but extends to that To include providing the elements of quality of life in cities and residential complexes through general plans, citing that Bahrain's new cities projects that provided open coastlines, waterfronts, green spaces, new road networks, and paths designated for bicycles and pedestrians, which reflects the government's interest in providing citizens with decent livelihoods.
With regard to the issue of exceeding the actual periods for executing housing projects to the periods specified in contracts in some cases, and extending Decisions to implement most of the housing projects, the Ministry has made it clear that the extension decisions are made in accordance with legal procedures and conditions contractual projects, and that although the Ministry is working to ensure that housing project sites are evacuated during The planning period and before starting the bidding and implementation procedures. However, some projects witness an extension of the project implementation period This is in accordance with the contractual terms, for several reasons, the most prominent of which is the issue of evictions, such as the Lawzi project, for example. It is an individual case that witnessed circumstances beyond the control of the Ministry, and that is because the lessee of the land of the Lawzi project, which Its ownership devolved to the Ministry of Housing, which had been intransigent in evacuating the site within the time limit granted, which necessitated Taking legal action, which resulted in a delay in starting the implementation of the project.
The Ministry of Health has run out of stock of 4,000 items of medicines and medical materials
Revealed the most prominent observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021, on oversight. On the purchase, storage and dispensing of medicines and medical materials, about 4,000 items of medicines and materials have been depleted Medications in the main stores of the Ministry of Health, which is equivalent to 47% of the medicines and materials required by the Ministry's Medicines Guide Keep a stock of them due to their importance. In addition to the depletion of stocks of many medicines and medical materials that must be available in the Salmaniya Medical Complex store, Of these, it was possible to count 149 items. The Ministry of Health purchased some medicines from local agents approved by local tenders, although it is among the medicines included in the Gulf procurement tender which led to an increase in the cost of purchasing them by rates ranging from 221% to 1,062%, compared to their prices. In the unified Gulf procurement tender.
The report also revealed an increase in the average prices of the Ministry of Health's purchase of some medicines from local agents accredited, compared to their purchase prices from other governmental hospitals, where the amount of increase in the purchase cost amounted to approx 7.9 million dinars, and the Ministry of Health does not subject narcotic drugs, oncology drugs, or vaccines to examination laboratory upon receipt to ensure their safety and conformity with the specifications contracted with suppliers.
The report mentioned cases in which medicines were dispensed from the Ministry of Health to hospitals and health centers The results of the laboratory tests that were conducted on it were not safe for use, and there were other cases in which medicines were dispensed Before the results of her examination are issued, nor are they available at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, the Psychiatric Hospital, and health care centers Accurate and complete records of the movement of medicines and medical materials showing the types and quantities received from the stores of the Ministry of Health And spent on patients and the remaining balance of each category, which weakens the control over the stock of medicines and medical materials and clears field for misuse.
For its part, the Ministry of Health said, with reference to the 18th Annual Report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau for the year Occupational 2020-2021, the Ministry of Health would like to clarify that it places most of its interest in providing the best services medical services for citizens and residents of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and it spares no effort to raise the level of these medical services services, noting that it is aware of the importance of the role played by the sectors of the health system in terms of integration within the framework of development level of health services.
She clarified in her response about what was mentioned in the monitoring report on the purchase, storage and dispensing of medicines and medical materials, And with regard to the stock of medicines and medical materials in the main stores of the Ministry of Health, it has put in place regulatory procedures And a mechanism to deal with any depletion of medicines and to ensure that they are provided to hospitals and health centers on an ongoing basis. This mechanism is subject to follow-up by the concerned team to ensure its effectiveness, in addition to submitting periodic reports on it Performance and obstacles that may face the workflow and develop appropriate solutions.
She referred to the list on which the report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau was based, which includes medicines that are not used Due to the change in treatment protocols, it is worth noting that work is underway to update the list of stored medicines to include only medicines used. Therefore, the percentages and numbers that were mentioned do not reflect all the used medicines, and so on There will not be an actual problem with the availability of medicines, but rather updating the lists of stored medicines that are being worked on .
Note that the main stores of the Ministry of Health have a stock that includes a number of types of medicines as alternatives that work similarly The level of efficiency and effectiveness of drugs that may not be available.
There is also an integrated procedure followed through which the provision of medicines or materials that are about to be used is used Reaching the minimum stock, by coordinating to provide it, whether from the Royal Medical Services Hospital or King Hamad University Hospital or by ordering from local pharmacies, whether in the private or public sector.
It is worth noting that all decisions to approve purchase requests are taken by the National Committee for Unified Procurement for medicines. There are a number of organizational procedures for fulfilling requests through national tenders. In the event of delay in deciding and obtaining the final results, financial funds will be provided and the Ministry of Health will be given authority to carry out procedures Direct purchase of medicines, and thus rescheduling shipping and supply dates for most medicines that may cause some differences in prices.
The Ministry of Health revealed, in its entirety, its response to the laboratory examination of medicines upon receipt to ensure that Its safety and conformity with the specifications contracted with suppliers, revealed an integrated project for a central laboratory (drug quality laboratory It will be equipped with all the advanced and modern devices in this field, with high and advanced specifications, in order to ensure access To obtain analyzes as soon as possible, to meet all entry requirements for imported medicines, and to ensure that they are not delayed. Currently, the recommendation is being implemented through the implementation of the pilot project. Note that in some exceptional cases, small quantities of some non-medicines were previously requested Available in stock and urgently, due to an urgent medical condition, and these quantities are requested from other government hospitals Or from the local market, given that these quantities are small in addition to being approved for disbursement In other internal bodies, and with the approval of the Health Professions Regulatory Authority, their analysis is dispensed “to fulfill requests Register it.”
With regard to what was mentioned in the report on the record of the movement of medicines and medical supplies, there is a simple reliable system for registration It is hoped that it will be transferred to a developed and accurate electronic system. Currently, a study is underway to examine the extent to which the central financial system for inventory registration can be linked to the system National Health Information, and thus tighten control over the process of monitoring and movement of inventory.
Human remains and toxic drugs in health facilities... There is no environmental control over Askar's cemetery
The most important observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021. On the control of waste management on the survival of some wastes of human organs, genotoxic drugs and wastes severe acute respiratory syndrome in some health facilities of the Ministry of Health and Salmaniya Medical Complex for a period of more than 24 hours, What violates Article (8) of Resolution No. (1) of 2001. It also leads to the accumulation of these wastes, the accumulation of waste containers of radioactive substance (TC-99m) used for diagnostic purposes Tumors in the Salmaniya Medical Complex warehouse, despite the health and environmental risks involved The executive body of the Supreme Council for the Environment to monitor the environmental aspects related to waste disposal operations in the Askar landfill. Nor does it conduct environmental tests and analyzes to measure the levels and percentages of pollution in the Askar cemetery.
The report indicated that the company in charge of managing and developing the Askar cemetery in April 2021 estimated the remaining capacity. The Askar landfill has about 4 million cubic meters of waste, enough to bury the waste for a period of 3 years Planning calls for finding a new site for burying waste and preparing it in accordance with environmental requirements, pointing out that some government hospitals And health centers to dispose of some of the liquid waste resulting from the analysis of blood samples, which includes solutions hazardous chemicals in the sewage network, which violates the guidelines for using these analyzes.
He pointed to the low percentage of municipal and commercial waste that is recycled and used or converted into energy. It did not exceed 1% of the total waste, although 47% of it can be recycled, and the percentage is low Recyclable municipal waste that is collected from the recyclable waste containers, where It did not exceed 1% of the total waste.
For its part, the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning said, with reference to the report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau The eighteenth annual for the year ending 2020-2021. The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning would like to clarify that about what the company in charge of managing and developing Askar cemetery in April 2021 confirmed that the remaining capacity of Askar cemetery is estimated at about 4 million A cubic meter of waste is enough to bury the waste for a period of 3 years, which requires planning to find a new site for burial waste and processing it in accordance with environmental requirements. The Ministry would like to show that it has made great strides in preparing the plan. The general site of the new site for waste management and recycling in the Hafira area, while work is currently underway on it Complete the collection of all necessary approvals for land allocation. However, it is very important to note that the Ministry, through its contracting with a company to establish and managing a construction and demolition waste recycling facility, which has contributed to reducing what is disposed of In the landfill of Askar from those wastes, which represented about 42% of the total waste received into the landfill of Askar This was reflected positively in extending the life of the landfill, in part, due to the reduction in the volume of waste entering it.
As for the low percentage of municipal and commercial waste that is recycled and used or converted into energy, where It did not exceed 1% of the total waste, although 47% of it can be recycled, according to the Ministry The construction and demolition waste recycling facility that is currently being constructed is the construction and demolition waste recycling facility The method of separating and crushing it and using it in the processing of road bases, as well as the facility for dealing with agricultural waste (green). And re-converting it into agricultural fertilizers, which contributed to reducing the percentage of waste entering the landfill and extending its life Partially as indicated earlier. Therefore, increasing the rate of recycling requires the presence of facilities equipped with all the necessary capabilities, which is what works The Ministry will provide it according to the available capabilities and resources, in coordination with all concerned parties.
However, the percentage of recyclable municipal waste that is collected from recyclable waste containers is low for recycling, as it did not exceed 1% of the total of those wastes. It differs from the above note An order related to the collection of recyclable waste from its source of production or from the place designated for its collection. This requires, in the first place, increasing public awareness of sorting methods and types of recyclable waste Recycling, which is what the Ministry is working to achieve in coordination with the concerned authorities to set the necessary requirements for this according to a plan medium term time.
In turn, the Ministry of Health said, with reference to the 18th Annual Report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau for the year ended 2020-2021. The Ministry of Health would like to clarify that medical waste management is currently being dealt with in accordance with the policies and procedures guide That comply with the relevant laws, regulations and decisions, in addition to the existence of contracts with companies Specialized whether for waste management or transportation. However, in a few cases of non-compliance of the contracting parties, a slight delay may occur and it is dealt with immediately And fast.
The ministry noted that in order to avoid this in the future, it is currently working on strict procedures, as it will include: Contracts concluded with the contracting parties for the transportation of hazardous waste for health care with clauses specifying the fines and penalties that will be imposed It shall, in the event of its non-compliance with the transfer of waste at the specified time, in compliance with the instructions of the aforementioned article.
She commented on the radioactive waste containers, that work is underway to improve the current procedures to ensure that they do not accumulate Containers in the future, by agreeing with suppliers to recover the containers and return them to the manufacturer Include the clause of recovering containers after using radioactive materials in the coming contracts as a binding measure by the entity contractor.
In addition, the Ministry confirmed that it is in the process of developing a study according to the recommendation contained in the financial control report And administrative, in coordination with the Supreme Council for the Environment on the possibility of treating liquid waste according to best environmental practices and sanitary.
The ministry concluded in its response that it is continuing to review the organizational procedures and policies that ensure the efficiency of all Citizens and residents receive health services from all facilities in the government sector, in addition to being monitored periodically The work of the teams you have assigned to develop procedures and improve existing mechanisms.
The Supreme Council for the Environment said that with reference to the 18th annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control for the year Ending 2020-2021. The Supreme Council for the Environment would like to clarify that the Askar landfill for municipal waste is one of the facilities included in the inspection plan approved by the Supreme Council for the Environment, where the Council carries out inspection visits periodically to verify the safety of Waste disposal procedures.
The Supreme Council for the Environment clarified in its response to the violation published in local newspapers and contained in Diwan's report Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021 that the Council issues the necessary licenses for the disposal of waste resulting from The industrial sector in the landfill after studying and evaluating it to ensure that it is not dangerous, and at the same time the council coordinates with The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning in this regard continuously and continuously.
The Supreme Council for the Environment added that within the framework of the council's oversight efforts on this facility, He directed the installation of a station to monitor the ambient air quality with specifications specified by the Council, and from which the Council obtains On the readings directly, wells have been established to monitor pollutants in the groundwater Three wells for this purpose were directed to take samples periodically under the supervision of the Supreme Council for the Environment.
The Supreme Council for the Environment added that the oversight efforts were made by the Supreme Council for the Environment in cooperation with the Ministry Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning in the context of efforts aimed at reducing the amount of waste destined for a landfill Askar, which makes the council constantly aware of the volume and type of waste production and is able to analyze and study data. These endeavors have succeeded in achieving a number of achievements, including the recycling of demolition and construction waste And using it in road construction and reusing cooper sandblasting waste in brick production, and others. The Supreme Council for the Environment noted that the legislation and initiatives undertaken by the Supreme Council for the Environment regarding plastics came Within the framework of reducing plastic pollution in the environmental circles, and one of its most important objectives is to reduce plastic waste that It ends up in the municipal waste landfill in Askar, which contributes to reducing the negative effects of this waste On the environment, and in this context, the Supreme Council for the Environment has reached advanced stages in issuing national legislation Specialized in electronic and electrical waste to manage it in a safe and sustainable manner, and it is part of the waste that has proven to be disposed of in the country Municipal waste landfill as well.
The Supreme Council for the Environment is aware that there are many environmental challenges in the municipal waste dump in Askar It started operating in 1986 and needs more time to be addressed, which the Supreme Council seeks environment to be taken into account in the new landfill project.
The number of students in the central virtual classes exceeded 6,000 students
Revealed the most prominent observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021, about control On the processes of digital empowerment in education, the number of students in the central virtual classes for the secondary stage and for the third grade Preparatory schools exceed 6,000 students, which may reduce the effectiveness of these classes in providing education For all students of different abilities and levels, with a shortage in the number of devices available in schools in comparison standards adopted for its distribution, which constitutes an obstacle to the use of technology in the educational process in schools, in addition to Covering 45 schools until December 7, 2020 with the wireless network, without developing a plan to cover the rest of the adult schools There are 162 schools with a wireless network, of which 47 schools do not have a wireless Internet network or it is limited The service available in it is on the Information Technology Center, which hinders the Ministry's efforts in implementing the Empowerment Program digital.
In turn, the Ministry of Education said that during the pandemic period, the Ministry of Education had to transform to e-learning at a time when many educational systems around the world have been disrupted Implementation of virtual central classes for the first time in public schools, and this was limited to the secondary stage and the third grade Preparatory school, and although those classes already included thousands of students, at the same time they included Hundreds of distinguished teachers who have been carefully selected to ensure that good explanation and education reach all students equally, Whereas, those central classes were working according to the explanation system by a distinguished teacher, and he was supported by F At the same time, large numbers of teachers were responding at the same time to students' questions and motivating their participation in the lessons. The experience was not without notes and challenges, but it was a success because it was the first step that represented a transition Actually for distance learning. The specialized team worked to address all the challenges, and in the academic year 2020-2021, the semesters were implemented The virtual system is completely decentralized across all grades from the first primary to the second preparatory school During the broadcasting of the schools, each school functioned as a separate, overarching broadcasting unit, and work continued in the central classrooms default for the secondary stage and the third year of middle school. And as of the academic year 2021-2022, centralization has been completely abolished in all public schools. This is the secondary stage and the third grade of middle school, and that was the culmination of the work of the Ministry and the specialized team in striving to develop Experiment and gradually transfer it to the best levels.
Schools' needs for information technology equipment were identified and raised in order to obtain the necessary budgets to provide them. Note that the Ministry is working on this in light of the financial appropriations that are allocated, and work is under way Complete the provision of all requirements, with an emphasis on the fact that the educational process in all schools is continuing well Affected despite all the challenges due to the continuous follow-up and hard work by the educational bodies in it.
She added that tenders have been launched to wirelessly network schools, according to the available budgets within the Empowerment Infrastructure Project. Digital education and work is underway to provide the necessary budgets to complete the wireless networking process in all schools, so that The tender is for the completion of all wireless networking works and the completion of the project. Noting that all public schools in the Kingdom of Bahrain are wired and have internet service available traditionally, while All newly established schools are wired and wirelessly networked.
2631 estates have not been handed over to their owners
The report of the Financial Supervisory Authority regarding the supervision of the performance of the Department of Minors' Affairs and Funds stated that there are 2,631 legacies All of her heirs have reached the age of majority without the administration taking sufficient measures to hand them over to their owners Of these, 74% have passed more than 5 years since all the heirs reached the age of majority.
He indicated that there is no mechanism to follow up on the agents of minors and those of similar status who are assigned to manage estates. And the like on a regular and regular basis to ensure the supply of the shares of minors and the like in terms of real estate rents Also, no plans have been drawn up to invest two vacant lands owned by the administration, with a total area of 233,000 square meters. square, and their total fair value amounted to about 18 million dinars, despite the passage of 23 years On buying one and 18 years on the other.
For its part, the Ministry of Justice said: Note (1): There are (2631) legacies, including all the heirs. the age of majority without the administration taking sufficient measures to hand them over to their owners, as the number (74%) has passed ) of which are more than (5) years old
Reply: The Department of Minors' Affairs and Funds periodically follows up the estates whose heirs have all reached the age of adulthood, preparing statements, communicating with them by phone, and sending text messages to them with the need to receive their dues, but it is not Some of them respond, and the contact information for some of these cases is insufficient.
A decision was issued by the Council of Guardianship over the funds of minors and those of similar status regarding the establishment of a detailed mechanism To find out periodically and regularly the estates over which guardianship has ended, so that all her heirs have reached the age of majority, and to take The procedures necessary to hand it over to the heirs, as the decision included the deadlines that must be adhered to and the necessary procedures to be taken in order to Handing over estates to their owners.
The administration is also developing continuous work plans to communicate with the adult heirs and deliver them the dues periodically and accordingly Conditions of the case as a continuous and permanent process.
Note (2): There is no mechanism to follow up on agents of minors and similar persons who are charged with managing real estate in a way Periodic and regular and ensure the supply of shares of minors.
Reply: The Department of Minors' Affairs and Funds periodically follows up on the agents of minors and their equivalents and follows up on the collection of The minors’ shares of the rents collected and in case they fail to pay or supply the amounts within the specified periods The matter is referred to the Legal Affairs Department to take the necessary action regarding it. There are cases that have been referred to the Public Prosecution Or reaching a settlement and paying the amounts after sending the official letter of assignment.
A decision was issued by the Council of Guardianship over the funds of minors and those of similar status regarding the establishment of a detailed mechanism To follow up on the agents of minors and those of similar status who are assigned to manage the real estate of the estates, on a regular and regular basis, to ensure that Their commitment to supply the shares of minors and their likes from the rental amounts, and to include evidence of policies and procedures on what procedures they It must be taken with regard to those who fail to supply these amounts.
Note (3): No plans have been drawn up to invest two vacant lands with a total area of about (233) thousand square meters, and its fair value amounted to about (18) million dinars, despite the passage of (23) One year after purchasing one of them and (18) years after the other.
Reply: The lands referred to in the original are real estate investment projects. Within the framework of developing the investments of minors’ funds, diversifying the investment basket, and enhancing profit returns for the benefit of the legacies of minors and those in it To govern them and support their future requirements, it was decided with regard to the first land to invest it by selling or building to increase its market value to several times its current value after classifying it, dividing it, and optimizing its disposal, but the matter faced some problems Technical and organizational requirements, which are followed up with the competent authorities periodically to obtain the necessary approvals.
As for the second land, the administration did not hesitate to do its best to vacate the land of former tenants, some of which reached the courts several times until some of them were settled During the year 2019, judgments of eviction and expulsion were issued, which the administration proceeded with intensively, in continuous coordination, immediately after the judgments were issued. .
However, the nature of the tenants and the purpose for which the lands were leased made it difficult to evict them immediately due to the presence of Horses and livestock require coordination to find alternative places so as not to harm them, as it took nearly a year And half a year without any results, which prompted the administration to continue implementing the expulsion provisions In the third quarter in 2020, and despite that, the management was unable to complete the release Tenants who have been sentenced except in June 2021 AD.
After the administration cleaned and leveled the land in coordination with the previous tenants, work is underway to put Guaranteed investment plans until the completion of the land planning and division process, for the vacated part of the land. Taking into account the existence of a part whose occupant is still rented and its contract expired on August 9, 2021, and the A lawsuit demanding expulsion and eviction, which is still pending before the courts.
28 million dinars in arrears of municipal fees, 54% of which are from 3 years ago
The report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020 on the control of municipal fees and advertising fees, that the value The total municipality fee arrears amounted to about 28 million dinars as of November 9, 2020, and exceed the ages of 54% of which are three years.
- The municipalities did not take any action against some subscribers who failed to pay the amounts owed by them, although accumulated for periods exceeding five years in some cases.
- There were 240 accounts in which municipal fees were applied that were less than the minimum, and the difference between The total minimum fees and the total fees actually applied to them are about 44 thousand dinars per month.
- The failure of some municipalities to take adequate measures against some advertising companies whose term has expired Advertisement licenses and still benefiting from advertising sites, in order to force them to vacate the sites, which misses the municipalities Opportunities to rent the site of those ads.
For its part, the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning stated that what was mentioned in the monitoring report about Improvement opportunities related to the collection of arrears of municipal fees, which amounted to a total value of about 28 million dinars as of November 9, 2020, and the maturity period of 54% of which exceeds three years, the Ministry continues to coordinate With the Electricity and Water Authority to take measures to ensure the collection of arrears of municipal fees, because municipal fees are collected Included in the unified bill for electricity and water, in compliance with the provisions of Article No. (64) of the executive regulations of the Municipalities Law issued By Decree of the Prime Minister No. (16) of 2002.
And since the municipal fees are collected from the Electricity and Water Authority on behalf of the Ministry, Paragraph No. ( 4.3.38) of the Unified Financial Guide states that if a government entity collects revenues on behalf of On behalf of another government agency, following up the collection of deferred revenues for the beneficiary government agency is within the responsibility of the government agency The proceeds, because the accounts are initially opened through the Electricity and Water Authority’s system, and the entry into force The imposition of municipal fees shall be from the date of actual occupancy of the sites or the date of supplying them with an electricity meter, as indicated by the law mentioned above.
As for the municipalities' failure to take any action against some subscribers who fail to pay the amounts owed by them, Despite the accumulation of periods exceeding five years in some cases, it is after taking into account the circumstances As mentioned above, that the collection process takes place at the Electricity and Water Authority, this matter requires a sequence Procedures related to collection from the authority as well, in addition to the municipalities taking the necessary measures against arrears As stipulated in paragraph (4.3.58) of the consolidated financial guide.
With regard to the existence of 240 accounts in which municipal fees were applied that are less than the minimum, and the difference reached Between the total minimum fees and the total fees actually applied to them are about 44 thousand dinars per month The reason for this is due to the programming of the electronic system of the Electricity and Water Authority, which should be set to not It is allowed to calculate fees less than the minimum for each of the municipal codes, which is what the municipalities have done In coordination with the Electricity and Water Authority, however, in return, the municipalities are working on updating the rule Fee data periodically to monitor and correct such cases, and in the event that such cases are corrected The fees are imposed retroactively to their full collection in accordance with the provisions of Article (57) of the Implementing Regulations. municipalities law.
On the same level, the municipalities confirm that they have taken a number of measures regarding the observation related to the lack of Some municipalities have taken adequate measures against some advertising companies whose advertising licenses have expired And they still benefit from advertising sites, in order to force them to vacate the sites, which misses out on municipal rental opportunities The location of those advertisements, the most prominent of these actions is to send notices and notifications to the violators as well as the imposition of bans on records ads for the owners of the violating advertisements, and the confiscation of the insurance amounts related to them, in order to pave the way for taking the final action represented in: Remove infringing ads.
The profitability of Edamah has declined since its inception..and the company replies: the return on assets is 5%
The report of the Office of Financial and Administrative Control on monitoring the performance of Edamah Company revealed a decline in the company's profitability throughout The period from its incorporation in May 2006 until September 2020 compared to the financial value of its assets, as it ranged The annual return on assets ranged between 0.16% and 1.68%. The company is making tangible progress in achieving the objectives for which it was established, despite the passage of more than 14 years since its founding.
He indicated that there are 25 unused lands, despite the elapse of periods since their ownership was transferred to the company Or its vacancy in some cases reached 13 years, with a total area of about 2.2 million square meters, representing 38% of the total area of land owned by the company, with a book value of about 78 million JD as on September 30, 2020.
- The total rents due for real estate owned by the company amounted to about 1.1 million dinars as of September 30, 2020, and the arrears that are more than one year old constitute 52% of them.
For its part, Edamah Company said that with regard to the company's low profitability compared to the financial value of its assets, it would like to The company indicated that the return on its income-generating assets ranges between 4% and 5%. During the period from 2017 to 2020, the company's revenues and rental returns witnessed a remarkable development. Between 2017 and 2020, an increase of 42%, as the new board of directors of the company since Assuming his duties in December 2017 by studying the financial and operational situation of the company and setting strategic frameworks for the company’s work and improving its performance Which has been translated into reality, and accordingly the company has since the Board of Directors assumed its duties Increasing the pace and speed of implementing projects efficiently and effectively, as some projects have been completed and development has begun A number of others during this short period, and the company acquired a percentage of some companies and established A number of subsidiaries and specialized companies to achieve its vision within the new strategy of the company and to reach the goals and objectives for which it was established.
As for not exploiting some of the lands owned by the company, Edamah would like to confirm that there are no lands in its real estate portfolio without a comprehensive plan to make optimal use of it to support its strategic objectives And reviewing all the unexploited lands in order to harness and benefit from them in a way that serves the strategic direction of the company, and accordingly the company established Through a number of consultations and careful studies with the best consulting companies in the field of real estate and the specialized employees of the company, and decided Going to sell buried, unexploited land that is not in line with the company's strategy to focus on Mega investment projects, as a practical and realistic solution to finance the infrastructure of strategic projects without the need to borrow from Banks to secure the necessary financing for such projects that require large sums of money to be implemented in accordance with the vision Edamah Company is pursuing its role as the real estate arm of the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
It should be noted that the strategic reserve of lands (Land Bank) that the company keeps for its future projects It includes lands that are not buried and islands that need burial and filling operations, and therefore these lands need huge liquidity to prepare them For investment, and it is not possible to start exploiting it except within a strategic plan in light of the availability of the necessary financial funds During the current stage, the priority of the projects that the company will implement during the next five years has been determined Developing innovative financing solutions that contribute to reducing the company's liabilities and increasing the effectiveness of its assets and financial resources.
With regard to the rents due for real estate owned by the company, part of these arrears is mainly In sums resulting from old contracts, the company has taken legal measures to collect them while it is still in the process The stage of settlement before the competent courts, while the other part of the arrears resulted from a number of tenants who were affected From the negative repercussions of the Corona virus (Covid 19), which limited their ability to pay, and based on responsibility National and community for Edamah Company in the spirit of one Bahrain team to face the challenges of this pandemic, the company has rescheduled and installments Late amounts and postponement of payment periods, after studying the financial and operational conditions and the extent of damages and losses left behind The pandemic is for all tenants of the company, each separately, according to the nature of the commercial activity, and in a way that achieves a balance between the interests of the company Company and tenants.
Edamah is always keen to closely follow up the process of collecting its revenues by sending notifications Periodically, seeking to reach amicable settlements in the event of failure to pay after studying the defaulter’s financial capacity and extent The possibility of paying the arrears, and taking appropriate legal measures against all debtors who defaulted on payment in the event that efforts were not possible. Amicably to settle the arrears owed by them.
14,000 collective workers' homes... and 62% of the workers' homes are in violation
I revealed the most prominent observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021. On the control of operations related to the organization of workers' housing, not defining and approving health requirements and specifications, and security requirements And the safety that must be available in the workers’ collective housing and its publication in the Official Gazette, as it was found that the capital’s secretariat did not stop And the three municipalities over the conditions of collective workers’ housing, which exceeded 14,000, according to commission data Labor market regulation as of January 31, 2021. This is done by issuing approvals for lease contracts that are subject to residential properties other than for the purpose of family housing .
The report indicated that the capital's secretariat and the three municipalities did not set up a mechanism to help them verify the fulfillment of the requirements The dwelling before it is registered in its database for the requirements regarding the area specified for each worker, and the ceiling height of the rooms in The housing and the number of workers in one room, and the Municipality of the Capital and the three municipalities did not verify the extent of its safety The property is structurally free from construction waste before it is registered, which may lead to approval of the property Registration of dilapidated and uninhabitable dwellings, or dwellings in violation of the regulatory requirements for construction.
The report revealed that 62% of the labor accommodations that employers provide for their workers are located in the areas of No It is permitted to construct housing for workers in accordance with the regulatory requirements for construction, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Development is not obligated to implement Approved inspection plans for workers' housing that employers allocate for their workers, where the rates of implementation of those plans ranged Between 18% and 76% during the years 2018-2020.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Development confirmed that its main role is limited to receiving notices from employers regarding The residences of their workers and the registration of their data before the transfer of this responsibility to the Ministry of Health according to the Minister of Health Decision No. ( 76) for the year 2020 regarding health requirements and specifications on November 29, 2020. And that it does not fall within the competence of the Ministry to issue approvals for lease contracts that are replaced by real estate for a non-purpose Family housing, and it does not fall within its competence to verify the integrity of the property from the structural point of view and that it is free from Violations. It should also be noted that some people rent out their private homes as workers’ residences, even though they are not licensed Therefore, the Ministry also confirms that it inspects only licensed workers' residences from the official authorities, and that it is It is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to review the addresses of workers’ residences registered with the Ministry. Inventory the violating housing and take the appropriate measures.
Concerning the observation mentioned in the report about the Ministry's failure to implement approved inspection plans for workers' housing Employers allocate it for their workers, as the rates of implementation of these plans ranged between 18 to 76% during the years 2018 -2020. The Ministry would like to clarify that the department concerned with inspecting workers' housing assigns a group of inspection visits to each An occupational safety engineer at the Ministry within the prescribed operational plan, meaning that each of them must complete the following: A specified number of inspection visits according to the approved annual plan, for example, by each safety engineer With (250) inspection visits for the year 2021, at a minimum, from various sources of inspection, including inspection of work sites In particular, construction and industrial work sites, inspection of workers' housing, and inspection to verify complaints related to occupational safety.
The Ministry would also like to clarify that the insufficient number of engineers in its Occupational Safety Department is a challenge from As directing priorities in the work of the concerned department, especially since directing occupational accidents is a top priority It can be postponed, as it requires a direct move to the occupational accident sites in preparation for the preparation of the technical report and its referral to the Ministry of Health The Public Prosecution to take the necessary measures, noting that the average occupational accidents in the years 2018-2020 exceeded 300 Occupational accident.
For its part, the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning said that the classification of housing used by workers for their residence They are classified into two types as follows:
1- Workers' housing provided by the employer for his workers: It is supervised by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Health Work and social development, in accordance with the provisions of Article (82) of Law No. (34) of 2018 promulgating a law Public Health, which stipulates that “the concerned administrative authorities shall develop a plan to ensure that Workers’ accommodation conforms to the health requirements and specifications issued by a decision of the Minister, in coordination with the Minister concerned with health affairs. the job
2- Workers' collective housing: It is the housing in which a group of workers share, and they provide it for themselves. Without interference from the employer, and Article (34 bis) of Cabinet Resolution No. ( 16) for the year 2002 issuing the executive regulations of the Municipal Law (the executive regulations of the Municipal Law), which were added To the list in April 2015 pursuant to Prime Ministerial Resolution No. (35) of 2015. Collective housing is defined as “housing is considered joint or collective when it is occupied by a group of individuals who are not related to them Relatives up to the fourth degree, and their number is not less than five individuals.” Muharraq, the municipality of the northern region and the municipality of the southern region (the capital's secretariat and the three municipalities) on these housing.
As for what was stated in the report regarding the failure to specify and approve health and safety requirements and specifications, To be available in collective workers’ housing and to be published in the Official Gazette, the Municipality of the Capital and the three municipalities would like clarification That the current situation is represented in the approval of the relevant forms by each government agency, so that it clarifies those The authorities approve or reject the application, which is what the Municipality and the municipalities depend on in granting the final approval Or not, noting that coordination is underway with the Ministry of Health, the Electricity and Water Authority, and the Public Administration The Civil Defense at the Ministry of the Interior to determine and approve the health and safety requirements and specifications that must be available in residences. Collective workers and published in the Official Gazette.
With regard to the observation related to the failure of the Capital Municipality and the three municipalities to stand on the conditions of collective workers' housing, which Their number exceeded 14,000 homes, according to data from the Labor Market Regulatory Authority, as of January 31, 2021. This is done by issuing approvals for lease contracts that are subject to residential properties other than for the purpose of family housing . The Capital Municipality and the three municipalities have started addressing the Labor Market Regulatory Authority since 2019 in this regard The fact that the Secretariat and the municipalities are participating members in the technical committee emanating from the Ministerial Committee for Development Projects The infrastructure headed by the Information and e-Government Authority, and the membership of the Labor Market Regulatory Authority will also help in strengthening the process The coordination required to achieve integration in the accuracy and inventory of workers' housing data.
On the other hand, it is very important to note that the Municipality of the Capital and the three municipalities have started an inventory of Shared group housing The manner in which the field tours were conducted was in accordance with the directives issued by the Committee Ministry of Development and Infrastructure Projects, given the many obstacles faced by the Municipality and the municipalities since 2016 when it started to activate and implement the text of Article (34) bis of the executive regulations of the Municipal Law, This is in addition to the fact that the legal responsibility on the shoulders of the municipalities now is to carry out the registration process yet That real estate owners notify the competent municipality in which jurisdiction the property is located in the event that they rent it as a residence joint or collective, whose controls will be strengthened based on the results of coordination procedures to activate the requirements of paragraph (d ) of Article (6) of the Real Estate Rental Law.
With regard to the failure of the Capital Municipality and the three municipalities to establish a mechanism to help them verify that housing has been met before Record it in its database of the requirements regarding the space specified for each worker, the ceiling height of the rooms in the dwelling and the number Workers in one room, the Capital Municipality and the three municipalities confirm that the standards and controls that are approved have been established She must approve the registration of group housing, as this includes the area and height of the room and the number of people allowed They shall use the room to sleep through a special committee to study and set the special requirements for the workers’ residences where the work will take place To include this in the technical report that is prepared during the field inspection, and the Capital and Municipalities Secretariat will work The three agreed to include these procedures in the Procedure Manual for Group Dwellings.
With regard to the failure of the Capital Municipality and the three municipalities to verify the structural integrity of the property And that it is free from construction waste before it is registered, which may lead to the approval of the registration of dilapidated and other housing suitable for habitation, or housing in violation of the regulatory requirements, the Municipality of the Capital and the three municipalities would like to confirm that this is done Actually, making sure that the dwelling is structurally sound, and that it is free of building violations during the field inspection, which is the matter Which is stipulated in the procedures manual related to collective housing, and this will be documented in the technical report during the field detection.
Concerning the observation that 62% of the workers' housing provided by employers for their workers is located in areas that do not It is permitted to construct housing for workers in accordance with the regulatory requirements for construction. The Municipality of the Capital and the three municipalities have a somewhat different point of view regarding allowing the construction of workers' housing In accordance with the regulatory requirements for construction, as the enumeration is in the places where it is allowed to construct the aforementioned workers’ housing To him in the text of Article No. (88) and Article No. (98) of the regulatory requirements for construction, as well as in Law No. (24) of 2018 is concerned with light industry zones, service zones, and industrial zones in which they are established These accommodations are for the purposes of housing workers belonging to the industrial establishment or industrial project, which is the housing provided by the employer for his workers, and this limitation was not mentioned except in those texts referred to, and it cannot be measured against it Or it expands on the requirements for allowing the registration of collective housing mentioned in the text of Article (34 bis) of The executive regulations of the municipalities law, which are rented to any category, whether workers or others.
It should also be noted that the Urban Planning and Development Authority is currently studying the development of special requirements For the areas in which it will be allowed to establish housing used for the purposes of shared collective housing, which will be taken into account While setting the necessary controls to update Article No. (34) bis of the executive regulations of the Municipal Law, as well as controls Activating the requirements of Paragraph (d) of Article (6) of the Real Estate Lease Law.
Most important of all, is to impose a restriction on homeowners and prevent them from exploiting their property for purposes Housing in the event of renting or allocating it as group or shared housing that would be inconsistent with the provisions Article No. (9) Paragraph (a) of the Constitution, as well as the provisions of Article No. (769) of the Civil Code Issued by Legislative Decree No. (19) of 2001 according to the Legislation and Legal Opinion Authority.
How did RERA respond to the observations of the monitoring report?
Real Estate Regulatory Agency clarified that with reference to the 18th annual report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau for the year Professional 2020-2021, RERA would like to clarify the following:
- Some decisions regulating many aspects related to the real estate sector were not issued, as stipulated in the Regulation Law real estate issuance.
The Real Estate Regulatory Authority issued 60 regulatory decisions that must be issued according to the Real Estate Regulation Law. Since the law entered into force in March 2018 (approximately 80% of the decisions required to be issued) as well The Foundation has prepared all the remaining decisions and work is underway to issue them according to the necessary legal procedures, including, for example Without limitation, consulting with stakeholders working in the real estate sector and studying their conformity with best practices Global, in line with the real estate market in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Corporation amended a number of previous decisions, in line with the requirements of the real estate sector.
In addition, the Foundation coordinates with a number of other relevant government agencies to issue a collection Complementary decisions according to the law.
- Existence of active commercial records that carry out real estate valuation activities, real estate brokerage, management and operation of real estate, which have been issued Before the establishment of the establishment, the conditions of its owners were not settled by obtaining licenses from the establishment The number of what could be counted was 1,220 records. There are also active commercial records practicing the aforementioned activities that were issued after the date of entry into force of the Real Estate Regulation Law There are no licenses for it from the institution, and it has been possible to count 322 records of it.
In cooperation with the Ministry concerned with commercial records, the Corporation has since provided it with the power to add violations to the records Commercial enables the establishment’s specialists to put violations in the commercial records, with approximately 700 violations in the commercial records Noting that a number of the owners of these records do not practice any of the real estate sector activities that require licensing It has according to the organization’s regulations, and they took the initiative to cancel the activity because they did not practice that activity, and it is worth mentioning that the activity Real estate valuation falls under the commercial activity: evaluation and valuation activities, which includes all types of valuation activities Confined only to real estate valuation, and the institution has coordinated with all parties directly related to the process Real estate valuation, such as the Supreme Judicial Council, the Central Bank of Bahrain and others, stipulate that no real estate valuation reports should be accepted From any person not authorized by the institution. This is because the real estate valuation was not regulated before the establishment of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency, noting that the institution Continuous monthly inventory of violating commercial records.
And about the existence of employees working in private sector institutions who practice real estate professions even though they do not own licenses from the Agency to practice these professions, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency confirmed that Law 27 of 2017 and Regulatory decisions are not imposed on the institution in coordination with the Social Insurance Authority with regard to private sector employees who They do not have the license, and just as the Foundation, since it began its work in March 2018, has been carrying out awareness and educational campaigns for all Dealers in the real estate sector and urged them to deal with licensed real estate professionals The Foundation, through all media and social media, in order to raise awareness among the public When conducting any real estate transactions, inspection campaigns have been launched on the establishments concerned with the real estate sector, which have borne fruit Monitoring a range of violations and taking legal measures as stipulated in the law.
And about the establishment in some cases issuing licenses or renewing them despite the lack of fulfillment of the license applicants For some of the requirements stipulated in the regulatory decisions issued by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, the Corporation clarified that it sought actively by including the largest number of real estate practitioners under its umbrella and assisting them in reconciling their situation through Obtaining the necessary license in order to achieve the public interest, and initially all licensing cases were dealt with Flexibly, with the aim of facilitating the process of adjusting conditions for a period that accommodates all workers in the real estate market and their response to the requirements that It takes time and effort without compromising their gains, especially with the absence of previous regulations and legislation for a number of real estate practices and professions. introduced by Law No. 27 of 2017, and the Corporation is currently obligating all licensees to provide all Requirements for issuing and renewing licenses.
And regarding the institution's failure to follow up on 515 licensees out of 636 licensees who passed One year after their license, that is, by 81%, and they did not respond to the institution’s request to submit an annual report that includes details All suspicious cash sales that took place during the year, which does not help the institution to monitor All suspicious transactions and taking the necessary measures in their regard. licensees and according to the regulatory decisions issued by the institution and in the event of suspicious or unusual transactions Or try to deal with it by informing the institution immediately, within a period not exceeding 24 hours from the date of The process is by filling out a form prepared by the institution, which has been circulated to all licensees and downloaded On the Corporation's website, the Corporation has taken action against a number of licensees who They did not respond by submitting the required annual reports, and then they, in turn, reconciled their situation, as the institution has done By tightening control over the most dangerous licenses in suspicious financial transactions, especially real estate developers, and the institution has ended From auditing real estate developers and work is underway with the rest of the licensees according to the severity rate.
-And about the institution's failure to charge fees for some of the licenses it issues, despite the multiplicity of procedures required for its completion, the institution indicated that it had sent the draft fees to be imposed after obtaining The cost of most of the fees in cooperation with the Department of Revenue Development at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy and pending receipt of the final version For fees so that the institution can present them to the Board of Directors, and if approved, they will be submitted to the Board Distinguished Ministers for approval, and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency proposed a proposal to collect fees in exchange for licenses and the services it provides This proposal was presented to the Board of Directors in preparation for taking the necessary measures in this regard. And in implementation of the royal directives in this regard issued in 2018, as a result, Resolution No. 5 of the year 2018 of the honorable Prime Minister, who stipulated the continuity of work with the fees specified in the previous decisions related to licenses and real estate sector activities. Accordingly, the institution may not collect fees for services that were not regulated in previous legislation, as the decision The aforementioned text on (continuity).
And about the institution's failure in some cases to issue invoices for transaction fees for registering contracts for the sale of units in projects Selling on the map, and therefore the fees are not collected for it, the institution indicated that it had set up a system Electronically, it issues invoices for all services provided by the institution and collects sales contract registration fees The institution will take legal measures against those who refuse to pay, and the institution will set up a mechanism to follow up on the registration of all payments Contracts for units sold by the developer and ensuring the issuance of special invoices for each project as will be done by the Corporation Developing a mechanism to follow up on collection to ensure receipt of invoice amounts and to take legal action in the event of non-response to notifications outgoing.
Completion of 48% of the indicators of the sustainable development goals.. and 118 indicators that require conducting surveys
patriotism
I revealed the most prominent observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020-2021, about the report On government organizational and administrative measures to implement the goals of sustainable development, the National Committee did not coordinate with the authorities government to set time plans to achieve the sustainable development goals that the United Nations has set quantitative target values The indicators for measuring their own goals, which number 86 indicators, so that those plans determine the quantitative value of the target annually for each indicator up to 2030, and the concerned national committee does not follow up on the implementation of the sustainable development goals By measuring 149 indicators out of the total 247 indicators of the sustainable development goals, or 60% It did not measure all the indicators related to the current government action program, and it did not limit the indicators related to the goals and objectives that it aims to achieve It is planned to be implemented in the work programs of the next government, as well as the indicators that will not be measured as they are It has goals and objectives that are not commensurate with the Kingdom of Bahrain.
For its part, the concerned authorities indicated that several meetings and interviews were held with officials of the Bureau of Financial Supervision And administrative to clarify the functions and nature of the work of the National Committee for Information and Population and to report that setting time plans to achieve development goals sustainable development is not among the competences and powers of the committee, as the Prime Minister’s Resolution No. (19) of the year 2019 defined the tasks of the National Committee for Information and Population as follows:
• Propose national population policies.
• Ensure the updating and correctness of information and data related to all indicators, national information, sustainable development goals and their indicators, including That is, programs related to the population and the development of mechanisms to ensure that.
• Approving all information, national reports and official statements, and identifying the parties responsible for their production before providing them to international organizations with it.
• Ensuring the commitment of government agencies to update all national information and statistics related to the sustainable development goals, their indicators and any other indicators Others related to the information base of the authority and e-government.
• Developing appropriate procedures to organize the exchange of information between government agencies.
• Review and evaluate the performance of the database to improve the quality of the information contained therein.
Note that time plans for achieving the goals of sustainable development are set within the framework of government programs while it is concentrated The work of the committee is to supervise the follow-up of the implementation of the sustainable development goals, linking them to the government program, and approving official information and data Determine the parties responsible for its production and the timing of its periodic publication, and supervise the preparation and issuance of reports that monitor progress made in the implementation of these objectives.
Accordingly, the government has put in place the required policies and mechanisms to ensure the alignment of the sustainable development goals with national priorities Included in the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and linking it to the government program at the level of goals and executive procedures in various fields concerned and follow up on its implementation.
The National Committee for Information and Population coordinated with government agencies when preparing the government program 2019-2022. Whereas, the requirements of sustainable development were guided in accordance with national priorities, and a questionnaire was sent to determine the priorities of Makassed Sustainable development to the members of the National Committee for Information and Population to ensure that the objectives are linked to the government program and to facilitate the task of monitoring progress made in the implementation of these purposes.
The government's current program includes nine general goals that the government seeks to achieve during the four years of 2019 Until 2022, through three strategic axes that intersect with the main areas of the sustainable development goals. These axes are represented in strengthening the basic constants of the state and society, financial sustainability and economic development, in addition to securing the environment supportive of sustainable development. The Council of Ministers assigned each ministry and government agency to harmonize its objectives, plans and policies in the government program current with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Accordingly, the goals of sustainable development have been downloaded to ministries and government agencies, each of the following, in order to harmonize Policies with objectives and to translate them within the framework of government programs into programs and projects. The competent authorities have also been identified for each indicator, as mentioned in the website dedicated to the sustainable development goals . The Information and eGovernment Authority follows international methodologies to validate the indicators.
She indicated that the national committee concerned with following up the implementation of the sustainable development goals does not measure 149 indicators. Of the total 247 indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals, or 60%, and they were not measured All indicators related to the current government action program, and an inventory of indicators related to the goals and objectives that are planned to be implemented In the work programs of the next government, as well as the indicators that will not be measured as they relate to goals and objectives Not suitable for the Kingdom of Bahrain. In cooperation with all relevant authorities, the Committee completed the data of 119 indicators (48% of the total indicators), and there are 10 indicators that the Kingdom of Bahrain does not follow, as they relate to goals and objectives commensurate with the Kingdom of Bahrain, while there are 118 indicators that require national surveys to be conducted or to be conducted It is extracted from the administrative records of the national data-producing entities, and coordination is currently underway to work on it.
Not adopting a national strategy for food security
Revealed the most prominent observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021, about control On the operations of providing foodstuffs and basic commodities in the local market for not adopting a national strategy for food security Despite the government's efforts to develop and adopt a comprehensive strategy to provide food stocks of basic commodities since 2015 Insufficient absorptive capacity of the silos of the Bahrain Flour Mills Company to meet the needs of the local market for wheat for a period It is sufficient for 6 months, as the capacity of the silos does not exceed 51 thousand tons, which is sufficient to secure Market needs for a period of four and a half months only, the lack of agricultural land in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which requires Good use of these lands through the production of economically viable agricultural crops, and the adoption of modern methods of agriculture and animal husbandry, the inaccuracy and completeness of the data on which it was based in calculating the quantities to be stored of commodities food within the strategic stock project, and therefore the quantities provided within the project may not meet The needs of the local market, especially in the event of crises and disasters.
For its part, the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Planning stated that with regard to the report on monitoring the savings operations foodstuffs and basic commodities in the local market, particularly with regard to the scarcity of agricultural land in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Which requires proper exploitation of these lands through the production of economically viable agricultural crops, and the adoption of modern methods In agriculture and animal husbandry, the Ministry, represented in Agriculture Affairs, worked to correct the legal status of agricultural lands which fall under its supervision, such as completing the procedures for registering and allocating them in order to implement food security initiatives, as they have done By activating the controls and requirements stipulated in the contracts of agricultural land tenants and developing a plan for the exploitation of agricultural lands and providing support services to farmers. Beneficiaries and correcting the status of the observed violations.
Agricultural Affairs, in coordination with the Urban Planning and Development Authority, has expanded to determine the number of agricultural lands that are possible Allocating them for projects aimed at increasing plant and animal production, which resulted in the identification of 13 lands in the The various governorates of the Kingdom have completed procedures for allocating a number (2) of them for the benefit of agricultural affairs, and work is still going on It is underway regarding coordination with the various concerned authorities to complete the procedures for allocating the remaining ones to the Ministry's needs, according to circumstances and conditions possible.
And on identifying the target varieties for agriculture, which are considered to be of greater economic feasibility, in order to ensure an increase in the percentage of contribution domestic product in food security, the Ministry is working to achieve this through two main ways:
First: Strengthening work on selecting suitable candidates and appropriate implementing projects through the Agricultural Incubation Center, which It is hoped that it will contribute to the training of project owners who submit appropriate feasibility studies consistent with the objectives Drawn to increase the production of certain agricultural crops.
Second: Activating and strengthening the work of the tissue culture laboratory, which will in turn circulate the results of experiments among farmers It helps to develop, increase and multiply the local production of agricultural crops and their diversity.
In turn, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism said, with reference to the 18th Annual Report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau For the 2020-2021 professional year, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism would like to clarify that the data was collected in The beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 to build an estimated perception of the current situation of the existing stock and its expected arrival during the period Less than 6 months, and the project was implemented in exceptional and urgent circumstances due to the closure of most of the borders Countries and the cessation of shipping and export operations abroad by some food-exporting countries, and the data has been analyzed based on On the general consumption data of the Kingdom of Bahrain during a six-month period, as well as the inventory of the main suppliers of commodities The primary and secondary strategy included in the food security indicators dashboard. In view of the sensitivity and enormity of the subject, the Ministry has recommended transferring this project to become one of the team's specializations Based on the national strategy for food security.
There is no mechanism for licensing fund-raising for non-religious purposes, and 212 non-functional non-governmental organizations
It revealed the most prominent observations contained in the annual report of the Bureau of Financial and Administrative Control 2020/2021, on the oversight of Operations related to civil organizations and fundraising. The Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments did not activate all of its related functions Regulating the collection of money for religious purposes, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Development's failure to set up a mechanism and procedures to organize collection licenses Money by individuals for public (non-religious) purposes and by legal persons not registered by it And the failure of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development to follow up on civil organizations licensed to collect money for public purposes to submit reports Financial documents and required documents during the specified periods for periods that, in one case, reached 1,283 days.
He touched on the continuation of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development in granting licenses to collect money for civil organizations, despite the From its failure to submit the required financial reports and documents related to licenses to collect money for public purposes. Existence of a mechanism to ascertain the final beneficiaries from outside the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the legality of their need for the funds raised Under the licenses and approvals of fundraising for general purposes, in addition to the presence of a number of violations monitored regarding fundraising For general purposes without a license for periods exceeding 3 years in some cases, without taking the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, to take the necessary legal measures, which require referring them to the Public Prosecution, It also showed that there are still 212 stalled and inactive civil organizations out of 643 organizations as in 29 November 2020, or 33% of the total number of NGOs, without the Ministry of Labor and social development to complete the rectification of its conditions.
For its part, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development indicated that, with reference to the report of the Office of Financial and Administrative Control The eighteenth annual professional year 2020-2021, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development would like to clarify the following:
(With regard to the note regarding the Ministry's failure to establish a mechanism and procedures for regulating fund-raising licenses before Individuals for public (non-religious) purposes and by legal persons not registered by them.
o The Ministry confirms that it has already put in place a mechanism to organize the collection of money for individuals by taking many Among the procedures, including placing the forms on the Ministry’s website since the issuance of the executive regulations in the year 2015 AD, It allowed natural persons (individuals) and legal persons of all kinds to apply for licenses to collect money for public purposes. In addition to the ministry setting up an office to receive applications, as well as carrying out media campaigns to enhance citizens' awareness The need to obtain fund-raising licenses. The ministry stated that many cultural associations have interacted with these measures and applied for a license to collect money The Ministry also initiated a meeting with the Central Bank of Bahrain and relevant private institutions to develop mechanisms, procedures and controls License to collect money by individuals for public purposes.
(With regard to noting that the Ministry does not follow up on civil organizations licensed to collect money for public purposes to provide Financial reports, documents and documents required during the specified periods for periods up to 1283 days, as well as continuity Granting money-raising licenses to NGOs despite their lack of obligation to submit financial reports, documents and papers required, and related to, general purpose fund-raising licenses.
o That the aforementioned period does not represent the practical reality, but is related to a group of non-association transactions fulfilled the conditions, and whose owners did not submit the necessary documents and reports in accordance with the fund-raising law and its executive regulations during the periods specified, in view of the requirements stipulated in both the law and the executive regulations, which led to Some of these associations were late in completing the necessary documents and reports, especially the associations that have many Activities related to charitable and humanitarian work, where it is necessary to provide all documents to the concerned department of the Ministry To check and review them, and out of cooperation with the associations, the Ministry has initiated inspection visits to the premises Associations to carry out audit and review work by the Ministry's employees on the required documents at the association's headquarters, and in the same It is time for the Ministry to take the necessary legal measures to amend the executive regulations of the fund-raising law.
o In order to clarify the extent of the required amount of documents and reports for review and audit, we mention that the Ministry issued during The scope of work of the Bureau report only (from 2017 - to 2020) is approximately 2593 licenses, approximately Between collecting money and receiving and sending money, whether inside or outside. The Ministry is committed to dealing with this amount of licenses in accordance with the legal and administrative requirements referred to ( Providing papers, documents and reports for each license issued), so the Ministry has worked to develop the procedures followed To cope with the expansion of its scope of work in light of the current cadre in the administration, in addition to conducting workshops For associations to reduce delays in transactions.
o The Ministry has also prepared a special financial form for those authorized to collect money in accordance with the requirements of Article (18) From the executive regulations of the money-raising law, which is now in the process of actual implementation. The Ministry follows up the procedures of licensees to collect money by submitting financial reports and documents by notifying the license applicant The need to submit the documents in the application form, which the license applicant signs, and that a request be sent Handing over the documents to the licensee in the license notification letter, along with issuing follow-up letters to the licensee after the expiry of the license In addition to the visits made by the Ministry and telephone calls or through e-mail.
(As for the note about the lack of a mechanism to verify the final beneficiaries from outside the Kingdom of Bahrain And the legality of their need for funds collected under licenses and approvals to collect money for public purposes.
o The Ministry clarifies that its competence does not extend outside the scope of the Kingdom of Bahrain In continuous coordination with the concerned authorities in this regard, and with regard to verifying the bank accounts of the transfer agencies or External receipts are proactively verified by the concerned authorities, based on their studies and opinions The license is granted, and the civil organization that sent funds abroad prepares a report for verification on paper After sending the money, as for the issue of making sure that the addressee has received it abroad, this does not fall within the scope of this Ministry competence.
(And about the existence of a number of violations monitored regarding the collection of money for public purposes without a license for periods exceeding 3 years in some cases without the Ministry taking the necessary legal measures against them, which require referring them to the Public Prosecution the public
o The Ministry would like to clarify that it noticed money collection violations in the financial reports, so it took preventive measures The occurrence of such violations through coordination with the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, where Coordination has been made to prevent the entry of any amounts into money-collecting accounts unless there are licenses issued by the Ministry and delivered to the bank. This preventive measure resulted in reducing the number of violations mentioned in the financial reports from (49) violations the year 2017 to (5) violations only in 2020, as the Ministry stresses in this context the importance of Preventive measures to control the movement of NGO funds. The Ministry has achieved success in this field, which was praised by international reports.
In this context, the Ministry confirms that it has also taken many measures to reduce the violations of civil organizations. This is done through cooperation with those in charge of charitable and civil organizations, in order to work to correct their conditions, And work to reduce problems that conflict with legal systems through many training courses and workshops Work to protect them from committing legal violations, and this is consistent with the principle of the eighth recommendation of the anti-money laundering recommendations and the Financing of Terrorism (FATF), which provides for the protection of NGOs from exploitation in money laundering and terrorist financing And directing them to improve performance in them as one of the best practices, taking into account the Ministry that those in charge of the associations are striving To achieve the humanitarian goal they have, and this work, from their point of view, is much higher than any Another thing, which leads to them falling - unintentionally - into many violations, without being mad There are no personal interests behind this, as it became evident that the members of the boards of directors had weak experience and competence Some associations, taking into account the addition of work to train civil organizations on financial management through The electronic platform, where (280) trainees from NGOs graduated, and it was suggested that a qualified accountant be appointed. A certificate in financial management in a non-governmental organization. There is cooperation with the concerned authorities in the state in all matters related to collecting money, including violations that may occur It rises to the level of crimes, bearing in mind that monitoring violations and transferring them to the Public Prosecution comes after verification The validity of evidence and the availability of criminal intent.
(As for the continued existence of (212) stalled and inactive civil organizations out of (643) organizations As of November 29, 2020, i.e. 33% of the total number of NGOs without The Ministry is completing the correction of its situation.
• The Ministry confirms that it has taken all the necessary measures to correct the situation of faltering organizations during the years 2017 Until 2019, a board of directors or interim director was appointed for (39) NGOs The dissolution and liquidation of (10) NGOs. The legal status of a number of faltering NGOs is rectified annually Until the year 2021, their number reached (161). The Ministry reports that the situation of a group of faltering NGOs is rectified annually, due to the difficulty of rectifying all of them Troubled associations within a short period, as correction procedures naturally require administrative procedures that need periods A long period of time. The Ministry has also taken the necessary measures regarding the dissolution of distressed civil organizations, but it was not possible to publish In the Official Gazette and the appointment of a liquidator due to the lack of a budget in the Ministry.
In turn, the Ministry of Justice said - with reference to the 18th Annual Report of the Financial and Administrative Control Bureau for the professional year 2020-2021, the Ministry of Justice would like to clarify the following:
Note (1): The ministry did not activate all of its competencies related to collecting money for religious purposes.
Reply: The note indicated that the Ministry did not activate its role in obligating individuals to obtain the necessary licenses and approvals according to The money-raising law and the decisions issued for its implementation, however, the Ministry exercises its full competencies in this regard Since the establishment of the Money Collection Office in 2016, its role is to receive individual requests for Obtaining licenses to collect funds, verifying that they meet the legal conditions and requirements, and then issuing the approval decision Or not, and the office undertakes periodic monitoring of individuals and verifies that they do not initiate any fund-raising operations without obtaining a license authorizing them to do so.
In this regard, the office has also organized information campaigns regarding the prohibition of collecting funds without a license from the Ministry of Finance The competent authority, as well as the continuous keenness to intensify efforts to monitor violations and take the necessary action in their regard.
Note (2): There is no mechanism to verify the final beneficiaries outside Bahrain and the legality of their need for money. .
Reply: The Ministry stresses the importance of verifying the final beneficiaries in order to ensure the legality of the collection, acceptance and disbursement These funds and their access to the beneficiaries, and within the framework of enhancing the principle of transparency and reassurance of citizens and residents to one side Spending the donated funds, by applying the established mechanism according to the specialization assigned to the office in accordance with the law, As applicants for money transfer requests outside the Kingdom of Bahrain must provide the data of the party to which the funds are sent Including their bank data, and the requirement to identify needs for the purpose of helping individuals, by filling out the forms prepared for that This is in addition to the periodic review of the annual reports to verify the fulfillment of all legal requirements and their conformity with the requests and the attachments to the financial reports, as Article (8) of Decree-Law No. (21) stipulates for the year 2013 regarding the organization of fundraising for public purposes obliging the licensee to submit a report to the Ministry with the proceeds of the amounts Which were collected and aspects of disbursement from them supported by documents indicating their authenticity.
In this context, Resolution No. (29) of 2021 was issued regarding the obligations related to the measures to ban Combating the financing of terrorism in the activities of the licensee to collect funds for general purposes and prohibiting dealing with persons or entities included in the terrorist lists.
In this regard, one request to send money abroad has been received and approved After the fulfillment of the legally defined requirements, including the submission of what benefits the final beneficiaries.
Note (3): There are a number of violations monitored regarding collecting money without a license for periods exceeding (3 ) years without taking the necessary measures by referring them to the Public Prosecution.
Reply: The Ministry affirms its keenness to take the necessary legal measures regarding the observed violations as soon as they are discovered through Collecting the necessary clarifications, addressing the concerned authorities, and completing the records, given the nature of the violations and the time it may take And effort, as soon as the oversight work was completed, all violations were dealt with by imposing appropriate administrative penalties on Violators with referral to the Public Prosecution to take its affairs in it.
The ministry also notes that, based on supporting the desired goal, which is the development of collecting money for religious purposes Within the framework of legal controls, those in charge of fund-raising activities are encouraged to apply for a license to practice those activities Activities To ensure the effective application of the law, the office has begun to assist those concerned in introducing the procedures and raising awareness about the law The collection of money, its regulations, and the penalties provided if they are not adhered to.
In this context, and regarding the aforementioned cases, we note that appropriate legal measures have been taken, depending on the nature of the incident Violations, taking into account the need for awareness in the first phase of applying the relevant law, where a warning was sent and taken Declarations of commitment against them, and all detected violations were subsequently transferred to the Public Prosecution.