Sunday, October 30, 2011

Budget talks progressing

V L Srinivasan

Manama (Bahrain), May 2:


A viable solution to the ongoing budget crisis is in sight with the Parliamentary Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs holding talks with the Finance Ministry for the past two days.
The talks between both sides are expected to conclude today in order to enable the Council of Representatives pass the Budget in its weekly session tomorrow.
Speaking to DT, Committee Vice Chairman Othman Mohamed Sharif Al Rayes said that “some progress” has been made during the talks and a “sort of agreement” is likely to be reached by today.
“All I can say is that the discussions are going on in a cordial atmosphere and we hope to settle the issues amicably before the Budget proposals are discussed on the floor of the House on Tuesday,” he said without elaborating further.
Though the Budget proposals for 2011 and 2012 were to be placed in the House on April 26, the government sought one week’s time to look into the changes incorporated by the Parliamentary Committee.
The changes suggested by the Committee include hiking the salaries of employees of the public and private sectors in Bahrain by 25 per cent, enhancing the Budget allocations to the housing sector from BD120m to BD180m per year and also the funds allotted for carrying out repairs to dilapidated buildings from BD10m to BD15m per year.

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