Mechanisms developed for dealing with National Audit Office’s report
The government has developed mechanisms for dealing with the National Audit Office’s (NAO) report in implementation of the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Cabinet Affairs Minister Faisal Al Maliki affirmed the government’s immediate handling of the remarks in the report, with the referral of five to the ministerial committee for legal and legislative affairs for investigation, follow up on 249 observations with government entities to rectify their status, and referral of two to the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Anti corruption and Economic and Electronic Security to take the appropriate legal measures.
The 2021-2022 NAO report revealed that 96 oversight tasks had been completed and 776 recommendations issued.
Public debt amounted to BD17 billion by the end of 2021, while loans owed by government agencies, that weren’t included in the public debt balance, reached BD2bn, bringing the total public debt, listed and unlisted in the Finance and National Economy Ministry, to BD19bn.
Expenditures exceeded the budgeted amount by BD27 million, while the report indicated that the actual deficit dropped by 43 per cent in 2021.
The NAO reported an increase in the rates of some infections at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) compared with international rates and failure to refer a number of medical violations to the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA), while Government Hospitals administration highlighted the implementation of a comprehensive plan to treat the causes of infection.
The report pointed out that the prices of health services provided to non-Bahraini patients in primary health centres have not been updated. Waiting times for treatment at SMC’s emergency department increased to 358 minutes, 6,210 patients were on surgical wait-lists until 2021 and 500 children were on wait-list for dental surgeries at SMC, the report pointed out, while adding that SMC and health centres had also run out of essential medicines.
During 2018-2021, the Industry and Commerce Ministry failed to develop strategic plans for the industrial zones, no assessment of the investor’s financial ability to set up a project was made before the allocation of an industrial plot, while the delayed rental amounts due for industrial land reached BD3.7m, 59pc of which exceeded one year.
The report also revealed that 76,000 court execution files had not been settled until March 20, 2022, with the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry having no plans to resolve technical issues.
A total of 2,312 Bahraini engineers and 324 non-Bahraini engineers were working in the private sector without a licence, the report said, adding that 87 were practising the profession in the government without a licence from the Council for Regulating the Practice of Engineering Professions.
The NAO also called on Tatweer Petroleum to oblige expatriates to train Bahrainis.
- The government has started dealing with remarks in the NAO report immediately.
- Two violations referred to General Directorate of Anti-corruption and Economic and Electronic Security.
- Follow-up on 249 remarks to develop and rectify their status.
- Investigation into five remarks
- Public debts reached BD17 billion while deficit dropped by 43 per cent in 2021
- Increase in infection rates at SMC and long waiting lists.
- BD3.7 million delayed rent payments in industrial zones, 76,000 court judgements not executed.
Source: https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1172341
