MANAMA, 3 February 2005 — A unified GCC municipal database is a dream that will come true soon, Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Ali Saleh Al-Saleh told Arab News.
“The new database will include what goes on in the Gulf region from new legislation to information concerned with municipal work,” he said.
“We have already reached a milestone by coming up with unified municipal taxes and building requirements.”
Al-Saleh was speaking after the National Municipal Conference ended in Manama. The two-day event, organized by Bahrain’s five municipal councils, brought together municipal officials from the Gulf region.
The event also marked the eighth GCC Municipal Day, which fell on Jan. 24, but was postponed because it clashed with a public holiday.
“The participants discussed municipal problems, issues and projects in Bahrain, as well as proposals from the GCC municipal ministers’ meeting held last December.”
“In Bahrain, the municipal councils are a part of the reforms led by the government that is vital for the development and growth of the country.”
Municipal elections in Bahrain were held in May 2002, women contested the elections but no female candidates won a seat. The next election will be held in 2006.
“Councilors have already shown they are keen on providing the best recommendations and proposals. They have managed to come up with active projects, including developing traditional gardens and renovating central markets, constructing public gardens, reviving old wells, planting trees and building new walkways.”
“The councils are also finalizing a unified Bahraini building requirements law, ensuring that everyone is treated the same.”
Kuwait Municipality Human Resources Director Eid Al-Khaldi said that Bahrain’s call for a unified municipal work was something that they were looking forward to for a long time.
Organizing committee Chairman and Central Municipal Council chairman Ibrahim Hussain said the conference comes in continuation to the GCC ministers’ meeting in Kuwait.
“We have a lot of ideas and goals and this why GCC municipal experts have been called to the event, to share with us their ambitions and visions about ways of developing municipal work, not just in Bahrain, but the whole GCC,” he said.
“We are here not just for the sake of meeting, but to strengthen our municipal work and get rid of our weaknesses and anything affecting the effectiveness of our municipal work.”
