Cabinet Approves the State Budget for Fiscal Year 2020

4 December 2019

His Highness, the Prime Minister, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, presided the ordinary meeting held by the Cabinet this morning at the Emiri Diwan.

HE Dr. Issa Bin Saad Al Jaffali Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for the Council of Ministers Affairs has stated the following after the meeting:

The Cabinet has considered all items listed on the meeting agenda as follows:

Firstly: The approval of the draft State Budget for the fiscal year 2020 and the relevant draft law, the referral of all sections and main sectors of the draft budget and draft law to the Shura Council.

The draft State Budget was prepared in accordance on the following basis:

-      Provision of the needed allocations for the plans and projects of Qatar Vision 2030 and the second strategic plan requirements for 2018-2020 with all its various economic social human and environmental pillars.

-      Securing the financial allocations for the completion of the mega projects relevant to world cup 2022.

-      Allocation of funds for the development of the infrastructure in the free zones, economic, industrial and logistic zones and to further develop lands for the citizens.

-      Supporting the initiatives of the business environment development to reinforce the private sector role and participation in the various economic activities.

-      Backing the food security projects and small and middle size enterprises.

Secondly: The approving of a draft law related to the consolidated economic register and likewise the referral of the same to the Shura Council.

The production of the draft law comes to replace the existing law No 14 of 2018 regarding the unified economic register in line with upgrading the legislations and coping with the developments

Thirdly: The approval of:

1.      A draft Emiri Decree for the modification of part of the provisions of the Emiri Decree No 17 of 2015 on the foundation of NOVER Center.

The Center aims at providing the best level of comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and prevention services and integrated community care, educational programs, applied research for addiction patients and in accordance with the policies adopted by the Ministry of Public Health and within the methodology adopted in hospitalization resorts.

2.      Draft Cabinet Resolution for the foundation of the Permanent Committee for the Treatment from Addiction Affairs.

Pursuant to the provisions stated in the draft resolution, a committee to be founded in the Ministry of Public Health named “The Permanent Committee for the Treatment from Addiction Affairs” to be presided by the Minister of Public Health, and the General Director of Public Security Directorate in the Interior Ministry as Vice President and with the membership of two members on behalf of the concerned respective departments. The Committee aims at consolidating the national governmental and non-governmental efforts in field of treatment and follow up of addicts.

Fourthly: The approval of the draft executive regulations of the Income Tax issued pursuant to law No 24 of 2018

Fifthly: The approval of the Cabinet’s draft law to found the “General Medical Committee” in the Ministry of Public Health and specifying its tasks.

The draft law comes in replacement to resolution No 1 of 1986 made by the Minister of Public Health to reformulate the Medical Committee in the Ministry and to determine its duties within the legislations.

The draft law states that a Committee to be found in the Ministry of Public Health named “The General Medical Committee in the Ministry of Public Health”. The committee will consider the application referred to it by the governmental and non-governmental entities, including conducting medical examinations to study work injuries cases, occupational diseases, determining the total and partial disabilities and its influence on the fitness of an employee or a labor to perform his works, studying the applications related to reducing the working hours based on the health status of the employee, and advise on the same, considering the applications pertaining to offering the Qatari female employee the needed leave to look after her children with disability or those with illness requiring mother’s care or accompanying her ill child while hospitalized for treatment in any public or private hospital in the country and to advise on the same.

Sixthly: The approval of a draft law made by the Minister of Justice to produce the obligatory rules for lawyers, authorized documentation entities and real estate brokers relevant to complying with the requirement of combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Ministry of Justice has prepared this draft law to replace the existing resolution No 81 of 2012 with respect to the obligations of the law offices and firms operating in the State of Qatar to comply with the procedures of combating money laundering and terrorism financing in line with upgrading the legislations and coping up with the new developments.

Eighthly: The approval of:

1-     Draft Air Services Agreement between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

2-     Draft Memorandum of Understanding for the cooperation in fields of family affairs, Woman, social services between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Turkey.

3-     Draft agreement re the cooperation in the scientific research relevant to conservation of giant Panda between the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in the State of Qatar and the Association of Wildlife Conservation in the People’s Republic of China.