ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015

9LOCAL/GULF

‘Decision taken without thorough studies will have untoward effects on citizens’

Some MPs express objection to govt’s plan to remove fuel subsidyKUWAIT CITY, Dec 15: Some law-makers have expressed objection tothe government plan to remove fuelsubsidy by early next year, as theyconsider the decision a sign of govern-ment failure in resolving problems thecitizens face, especially low incomeearners, reports Al-Anba daily.

MP Abdul-Rahman Al-Jeran won-dered about the objective of govern-ment in working toward the removal

of fuel subsidy. He asked whether gov-ernment does not have any alternativeplan or if it tried all options suggestedin the studies conducted for that pur-pose and explored by the Council ofMinisters, Amiri Diwan and other rel-evant authorities. He affirmed thedecision will definitely affect the larg-er segment of society, especially low-income earners.”

In his comment, Dr Ahmad Mute’e

Al-Azemi expressed absolute objec-tion to the removal of fuel subsidy. Heurged the government to embark onexhaustive reviews to discover the rateat which the decision will bite on citi-zens who depend on the item. Heaffirmed the National Assembly willnot accept a raise in prices of fuel and“it’s a must to recourse to theParliament before its execution”.

He wondered why government is

hell bent on implementing a decisionagainst the welfare of citizens whileleaking news to provoke them.

He reiterated the decision takenwithout thorough studies will haveuntoward effects on citizens. Headmonished the government to distrib-ute a questionnaire to the populaceconcerning the increase in fuel prices,and after that government will rescindon the decision quickly.

Squeezed by budget and IS,Iraqi health system struggles

Iraqis look to non-governmental bodies

BAGHDAD, Dec 15,(RTRS): Iraq’s primeminister responded toprotests this summerover failing publicservices by launchinga campaign againstcorruption and mis-management, yetmore than fourmonths later there islittle sign of improve-ment in one key sec-tor: healthcare.

With Iraqis fleeingIslamic State in evergreater numbers, the coun-try’s growing populationof internal refugees isstraining public facilitiesalready ground down bydecades of war, sanctionsand red tape.

Focused on fighting insur-gents, the government isstruggling to provide the serv-ices that Iraqis took to thestreets to demand.

That failure is nowheremore acute than in a health-care system once seen as oneof the best in the Middle East.

The World HealthOrganisation says Iraq’s pub-lic health, water, and sanita-tion systems are collapsing.

The situation has become sodesperate that thousands ofIraqis forced to flee Anbarprovince in the west have optedto bypass the government andseek medical care from non-governmental organisationssuch as one called Dari.

Based in a modest apart-ment building in Baghdad’sKarrada Mariam neighbour-hood, Dari treats about 50patients a day, mostly chil-dren and the elderly.

So far this year, Dari hasprovided more than 15,000families with food aid andregistered another 8,400patients at its free medicalclinic, said its president, AlaaAbdel Sadaa.

ManagedAbdel Sadaa said his organi-

sation managed resources betterthan the government, which isplagued by political infighting.

Prime minister Haider al-Abadi must meanwhile dealwith resistance from Iraq’sfractious members of parlia-ment, which means that as thehealthcare crisis deepens, hehas to build a political con-sensus before he can proceedwith any reforms.

For its part, Dari relies onvolunteers. None of its morethan 100 medical profession-als are paid, said Abdel Sadaa.

“We can treat 100 patientswith $1,000,” he said. “Thatis difficult for the health min-istry or any government hos-pital to say.”

Dari relies partly on dona-tions and supplies from phar-maceutical firms and foodmanufacturers.

Abdel Sadaa said the gov-ernment has called on non-governmental organisations tohelp it fill the gap in publicservices caused by the state’snew austerity measures.

But he said instead of help-ing groups like his operate,government agencies oftenobstruct his work.

Instead of supervisingorganisations to prevent cor-ruption and theft, the stateuses the security situation torestrict the groups’ activities,he said.

The chief of the NGOdirectorate in the Iraqi cabi-net, Ali Makki, said his officeis intensifying efforts to facil-itate the work of non-govern-mental organizations, espe-cially those providing reliefand health services.

Dari was founded in 2013to encourage blood donationsafter bomb attacks in the cap-ital. It now runs a mobile clin-ic in one of Iraq’s provincesevery week or so, and hasplayed a big role in fightingthe worst cholera outbreak inIraq in years.

Health ministry spokesmanRifaq al-Araji said non-gov-ernmental organisations hadhelped to ease the pressure.

A group photo from the event.

Event held under patronage of environ minister

DOHA, Qatar, Dec 15: Under the patronage ofHis Excellency Engineer Ahmad Bin Amer Al-Hemaidi, Qatar’s Minister of Environment, theGulf Organization for Industrial Consulting(GOIC) organized the 1st Gulf MetrologyForum in collaboration with Qatar’s Ministryof Environment, the GCC StandardizationOrganization (GSO) and GULFMET. Manyexperts and professionals in charge of nation-al, Gulf and international metrology centres,organisations and institutes attended theForum, including the International Bureau ofWeights and Measures (BIPM), theInternational Organization for LegalMetrology (OIML) and the Head of the AsiaPacific Programme. The 1st GMF was held atthe Hilton Hotel Doha, Qatar, on the of Dec 14and 15, 2015.

Engineer Ahmad Bin Amer Al-Hemaidiinaugurated the Forum. He highlighted theimportant role of metrology in energy, indus-tries, economies and technologies. He stressedthe need for a national measurement systemand the necessity of building adequate infra-structure to develop and offer measurementservices according to the needs of societies andeconomies.

WelcomedAbdulaziz Bin Hamad Al-Ageel, GOIC

Secretary General, delivered a speech in whichhe welcomed participants and underlined theimportance of industrial standards and meas-urements as a key requirement for global trade,international technological advancement andthe industrial development cycle. According toAl-Ageel, metrology helps improve outputs ofmanufacturing industries and all other produc-tive industrial sectors. Al-Ageel reiterated theneed to update measurement and calibrationregulations in GCC countries to improve qual-ity of products, protect the environment andboost national competitiveness.

Furthermore, Nabil Amin Mulla, GSOSecretary General delivered his address. Hebegan by thanking GOIC for this initiative andfor its active role in coordinating Gulf effortsaiming at stimulating economic development.Mulla highlighted the importance of measure-ments and tests in today’s economy and the needto provide adequate metrology infrastructure inGCC countries, hence allowing their economiesto control the quality of products and servicesthrough internationally recognised methods.

In his speech, Dr. Martin Milton, BIPMDirector General, shed light on the objectives ofmeasurements and the historical stages of inter-national cooperation in the field of measure-ments. He opined that measurements are nowa-days a key and integrated part of quality infra-structure. He also announced that GULFMEThas gained international recognition as aRegional Metrology Organisation (RMO).

Throughout two days, four sessions wereheld including two open discussion sessionsduring which 21 specialised papers in the areaof metrology and calibration were presentedand discussed. These papers tackled differentaspects and perspectives, and focused on theimportance of measurement to all economic

and services activities. They also highlightedthe role of measurements in all aspects of ourlives such as: energy efficiency, transfer ofmeasurement knowledge and the necessity ofusing measurements in production operations,services and medical equipment calibration.

Based on aforementioned papers and dis-cussions between professionals specialised inmetrology in the GCC and a large number ofinternational organisations operating in thisarea, participants agreed on the following rec-ommendations:

1. Endeavouring to develop a comprehen-sive national strategy for metrology infra-structure in member states by founding aNational Metrology Institute (NMI) toimprove measurement and calibration capaci-ties and acquire international recognition inaccordance with the Mutual RecognitionAgreement (MRA).

2. Working to support SMEs to improvetheir products and services by using reliablemeasurements for testing and analyses.

3. Invite the private sector to invest in dif-ferent aspects of metrology activities and pro-viding incentives and support to stimulate thissector.

4. Calling upon GCC countries that have notyet joined the Metre Convention to do so.

5. Inviting GCC countries to deploy moreefforts to adopt a unified measurement law forGSO member states along with local explana-tory guides.

6. Introducing metrology to school and uni-versity curricula.

Skills7. Improving the skills of metrology staff in

member states through metrology scholar-ships.

8. Supporting GULFMET in its attempt tocome up with joint schemes to assist GCC stateswith limited technical metrologic capacities inorder to better their capacities in the area ofmetrology in accordance with their needs.

9. Putting together a database that includesexisting metrology capacities and future needsof metrology services in various sectors inGCC countries through cooperation betweenGOIC and GULFMET.

10. Inviting research and development cen-tres in the GCC to support NMI research proj-ects.

11. Encouraging GCC countries to moveforward towards complete integration in thefield of metrology activities and services.

12. Supporting GULFMET and benefitingfrom its services to improve measurementcapacities and secure international recognition.

13. Holding the Gulf Metrology Forum on aregular basis.

Finally, participants expressed their deepestgratitude to the Minister of Environment forhis patronage of this event, to GOIC for theorganisation of this Forum and to GSO andGULFMET for their cooperation with GOIC.Participants also thanked all speakers for theirfruitful contributions, and all sponsors fortheir support and help in the success of the 1stGMF.

Closing statement, recommendations of1st Gulf Metrology Forum held in Doha

‘Long way’ to reform

Saudi Arabia vote a start for womenRIYADH, Dec 15, (AFP): The election ofat least 20 women to local councils inSaudi Arabia for the first time could indi-rectly lead to longer term reforms in dis-criminatory policies, activists saidMonday.

They said Saturday’s vote in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom is a steptowards improving the rights of the Gulfnation’s roughly 10 million females.

But it will not directly help end a banon women driving — the only prohibitionof its kind in the world — or the“guardianship” system, they said.

Male guardians are family memberswho must authorise a woman’s travel,work or marriage.

Saudi Arabia has some of the world’stightest restrictions on women, who mustcover themselves in black from head totoe when they appear in public.

Restaurants and other public facilitiesare segregated, a division reflected in thevoting, when men and women cast ballotsat separate facilities.

Iman Fallata, a founder of the BaladiInitiative which helped prepare womenfor the vote, told AFP that although end-ing the guardianship system is a priority,“we (will) not put a strong hope for this”immediately.

“We know it’s still early stages. Weknow that the way is long... but we are onthe right way,” she told AFP on the side-lines of a ceremony at which the BaladiInitiative was named a winner of thisyear’s Chaillot Prize.

Bahrain celebrates national occasionsMANAMA, Dec 15, (KUNA): Withaccessories decorating the streets ofthe capital Manama, Bahrainis are setto celebrate the 44th national day andthe 16th anniversary of King Hamad’sascension to throne.

Since independence in 1971,Bahrain had witnessed rapid architec-tural developments, transformingfrom a state with minimum resourcesto a country considered as a regionalcommercial and financial hub.

Bahrain’s development is focusedon the rise of the banking sectorwhich managed to attract variousfinancial institutions to invest in theKingdom.

In 1986, Bahrain witnessed an eco-nomic boom with the construction ofthe King Fahad Bridge linking Bahrainto mainland Saudi Arabia which inturn provided a valuable land route forthe transfer of imports and exports.

According to statistics, some35,000 vehicles enter Bahrain fromthe bridge which led to the develop-ment of the tourism sector in the

country.On the political level, the ascension

of King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa in1999 had led to many political, consti-tutional, and parliamentary reforms.

In 2000, a committee was foundedwith the task of establishing a nation-al accord document. It was subjectedto a poll that resulted in the approvalrate of 98 percent by voters.

Based on the document, a parlia-ment was established with a member-ship of 40 lawmakers and representa-tives. The government, on the otherhand, was formed by the King with theinclusion of 14 ministers.

Bahrain’s foreign policy was high-lighted this year with its participationin the ‘Operation Decisive Storm’ and‘Operation Restoration of Hope’, theSaudi-led coalition in Yemeni againstthe Houthi rebels.

Several Bahraini servicemen werekilled during the operations which ledthe King to issue a decree to com-memorate the memory of Bahrain’sfallen soldiers on Dec 17.

The annual award from the EuropeanUnion delegation in Riyadh honoursthose working for human rights in theGulf.

Fallata said Baladi’s immediate goal isto push for 50 percent female representa-

tion on the council seats which will beappointed by the ministry of municipalaffairs.

The 2,106 council seats up for electionlast Saturday account for two-thirds oftotal seats, with the rest appointed.