The Cabinet which met yesterday with Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in chair approved a draft general budget for the fiscal year 2019 and a draft law to approve the budget, and to refer the total chapters and sectors of the main draft budget and the draft law to the Advisory Council.
The draft general budget has been prepared on the following basis: providing the necessary allocations for the plans and projects of the Qatar National Vision 2030 with its various economic, social, human and environmental pillars; continuing work on increasing other revenues (non-oil); providing financial allocations for the completion of major projects and projects related to the 2022 World Cup.
The budget also focused on allocating funds for the development of infrastructure in the economic, industrial and logistics areas; supporting initiatives to develop the business environment and enhance the role of the private sector and its participation in various economic activities; supporting food security projects; allocating funds for the development of land for citizens and continue working to increase the efficiency of public expenditure.
At the outset of the meeting, the Cabinet welcomed the results of the official visit of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Republic of Croatia from November 18 to 19 and the State visit to the Republic of Italy from November 19 to 20.
The Cabinet affirmed that H H the Amir’s visits to the two friendly countries and H H the Amir’s talks with President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and a number of senior officials in the two countries.
The Cabinet also affirmed the agreements and memorandums of understanding that were signed during the two visits have moved on bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and each of Croatia and the Italy to a new stage, opened wide horizons of fruitful and constructive cooperation with the two countries in various fields and strengthened the existing understanding with them on many regional and international issues of common concern.
The Cabinet also approved drafts executive decisions of Law No. 10 for 2018 regarding Permanent Residence. These drafts have been prepared within the framework of completing the necessary decisions to activate the provisions of Law No. 10 for 2018 on Permanent Residence.
The Cabinet approved a draft resolution of the Council of Ministers to determine the duration of the license of commercial, industrial and general shops and street vendors. Under the terms of the draft resolution, the license of commercial, industrial and general stores and vendors are valid for a period of not less than one year and not more than five years, and for a period of three years for domestic businesses and two years for the license of street vendors. The licence period is renewable for a period or other similar periods.
The Cabinet also approved a draft agreement on air services between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Ghana. It took the necessary procedures for the ratification of the following: An agreement on the cancellation of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, private and official passports between the Government of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Argentina.
An agreement of cooperation in the field of environmental and nature protection between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Ecuador.
The Cabinet then reviewed a memorandum of the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs on the outcome of the 16th meeting of the Committee of Ministers in charge of Housing Affairs in the GCC States (Kuwait, October 2018), and took the appropriate decision thereon.
