Royal address to nation praised by Cabinet

The Cabinet has reviewed the address delivered by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa marking the Kingdom’s celebrations of the National Days, and discussed the royal assertion that Bahrain is at the forefront of the global development race, as it is witnessing a comprehensive and balanced renaissance, with "Centennial Achievement" as its theme.
Chairing the regular weekly Cabinet session at the Gudaibiya Palace today, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa laude the royal address to the nation, stressing the government’s keenness on carrying on the development progress with the same momentum and strength, as well as with the determination and competence of Bahrainis, noting that the advancement pace has accelerated during HM the King’s prosperous era.
The Prime Minister affirmed that the government will take all necessary procedures to implement HM King Hamad’s vision on safeguarding Bahrain against the forces of destruction and division, and drive it non-stop towards new horizons of development, a statement by Cabinet Secretary-General Dr. Yasser Isa Al-Nasser said.
The session also extended deep thanks and appreciation to the citizens and residents for the feelings of joy and happiness they expressed while participating in the festivities witnessed by the kingdom while marking the glorious National Days and paid tribute to brotherly and friendly countries for their noble feelings towards Bahrain’s leadership, government and people on the national occasions.
The Cabinet lauded HM King Hamad’s order to name the Southern City housing projects, linking Askar, Jau, Al-Dur and their suburbs, "Khalifa City", noting the new housing milestone was named after HRH the Prime Minister in recognition of his landmark achievements and continuous valuable contributions to Bahrain’s renaissance.
HRH Premier extended deepest thanks to HM the King and voiced pride in the royal initiative which represents the highest levels of appreciation.
The Cabinet welcomed the kind royal gesture reflecting the royal appreciation of a national icon fully dedicated to serving his nation and people.
The session wished Bahrain and its people further progress, prosperity and stability marking the New Year 2018, expressing hope that peace and security will prevail across the world for the best interests of the entire humanity.
In another context, the Cabinet welcomed the UK Parliament’s recommendation to the British government to designate outlawed Bahraini groups as terrorist organisations, stressing that the move supports the efforts of the Government of Bahrain to combat terrorism and reflects the international community’s high awareness of the serious danger posed by such organisations to security and stability in Bahrain and abroad.
It also valued highly the anti-terror efforts exerted by the UK government.
The session strongly condemned the ballistic missile attack carried out by the coup militias in Yemen on civilians in Riyadh describing it as a hostile cowardly attack aimed at subverting Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.
The session lauded the competence of the Saudi air defence and its success in intercepting the missile, reiterating Bahrain’s full support for Saudi Arabia in all the measures it takes to safeguard its security and stability.
The Cabinet also condemned the terrorist attack that targeted Al-Arish Airport in Egypt, expressing support for brotherly Egypt and the measures it takes in order to safeguard its security and stability against the danger of terrorism and terrorists. On health, HRH the Prime Minister gave directives to continue improving the quality of the services, stressing the need to strengthen the monitoring system in public and private hospitals to reduce the spread of any infection acquired in them.
The Minister of Health was instructed to submit a report on the precautionary measures adopted to prevent infections in hospitals and health centres.
HRH the Prime Minister gave directives to limit wrong practices that affect the land and marine environment to ensure the preservation of natural resources and achieve environmental security. 
In this regard, HRH Premier instructed the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to cooperate with the Supreme Council for Environment to develop a plan that avoids the use of the current plastic bags for their risks and damage to the environment.
They were also requested to find appropriate alternatives for plastic bags, and to develop environmental standards for plastic bags to ensure they are environment-friendly.
HRH the Prime Minister gave directives to the Ministry of Health and the competent departments in the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to increase precautionary measures to prevent the transmission of the bird flu disease, as well as to intensify awareness campaigns and activate the necessary preventive plans.
In another context, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning to follow up on the needs of fishermen in Umm Al-Hassam regarding the provision of harbour securing. 
The ministry was asked to take the necessary measures regarding the complaints of the Salhia citizens about activities that violate the purpose for which the land was allocated, and the consequent environmental and health damages they cause.
While reviewing memoranda on its agenda, the Cabinet approved a draft-resolution regulating the linking of renewable energy to the electricity distribution network at the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) in order to implement the "Net Metering" System.
Recommended by the Executive Committee, the draft-resolution regulates the mechanism of linking the electricity produced from renewable energy, including solar power, to the government electricity network, a memorandum presented by the Electricity and Water Affairs Minister said.
The session also approved a draft-resolution on the issuance of an executive bill that replaces that of 2006 on the Patent Law and benefits, and another on determining fee categories for registering patents and the benefits for individuals and companies.
The two bills were highlighted in a memorandum submitted by the Deputy Premier and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.
The session approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on renewable energy to be signed by the Electricity and Water Affairs Ministry in Bahrain and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in India.
The minister in charge of electricity and water was mandated to sign the MoU, as recommended by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.
An MoU on cooperation in the field of health care between Bahrain’s Ministry of Health and India’s Health and Family Welfare Ministry, highlighted in a memorandum presented by the Minister of Health, was also discussed and referred to the ministerial committee.
The session agreed, based on the reasons presented by the Ministerial Committee for Urbanisation and Infrastructure, to retrieve a draft-law on amending some provisions of Law 33/2006 on sewage disposal and surface water drainage, referred to the Legislative Branch as per a royal decree in 2013.
The Cabinet referred to Council of Representatives four draft-laws, along with memoranda explaining the government’s opinions on them, as recommended by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs.
They included a draft-law on amending some provisions of Law 20/2002 with respect to the Regulation of Fishing and Exploitation of Marine Resources, a draft-law on adding a new article to Decree-Law 40/1999 on GCC citizens’ ownership of built real estates and lands, and two draft-laws on amending Articles 3 and 5 of Law 74/2006 on the welfare, rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. 
The session also endorsed a proposal to appoint military, security and human rights attachés at Bahrain’s embassies.
The Cabinet returned to the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs a draft government reply to a proposal on rules and regulations of travelling to some countries which pose a threat to Bahrain’s security and stability.