Web site uses paper reports to serve Manama expatriates
To ensure better services and facilities for expatriates, who constitute about 85 per cent of the population in the Capital, a special Web site has been launched.The Manama Municipal Council’s web site will help the authorities collect feedback on the services the expatriates need as well as solve their grievances, council secretary Jassim Redha told Bahrain Tribune yesterday.The web site was launched last week. “The site in English language will be an effective outreach programme to take the best facilities and services to the expatriates in our areas. It contains pictures, reports and updates on council projects, issues and weekly sessions, mostly taken from the Bahrain Tribune newspaper,” Redha said. The site is being updated, but can be accessed by the public. “We will download their comments on various issues for discussion at council meetings,” Redha said. “It is an experiment we hope to succeed in.“The public can also view our pdf files including the council magazine which is in Arabic, the news archives and can also access other useful links,” he said. “Our aim is to solve problems and update the expatriate community on the council activities,” Redha said.He said that the web site would also encourage open discussion between the community and the council on municipal and community problems.“The web site has a special section were the expatriates can submit their complaints, queries, views and doubts about the council and its services. “The expatriate community can also contribute through articles and reports,” Redha said.

Council discusses project for needy to utilise fund
To use a fund of BD100,000, the Manama Municipal Council has three options. The amount is part of BD500,00 the Ministry of Municipalities and Agricultural Affairs will distribute equally to the five councils, writes Naila Barakat.The council is preparing a social services project for the needy to use its share of the fund. The council has three options. “The first is to hand over the project to the ministry for execution under the council’s supervision,” council secretary Jassim Redha said following a meeting.The second option is to distribute the budget to charity funds. “There are many charities which cannot raise enough fund for the needy. Ramadhan is approaching and we should take it as a good opportunity and distribute the money to the charities which can use it for lower-income people during the holy month.Last update on: 24-9-2005

Licence to businesses to share offices proposed

THE Manama Municipal Council has proposed to the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) to allow businesses to share one office, writes Naila Barakat. The proposal by the council’s technical committee is part of an initiative to promote large, medium and small businesses in the Capital, council secretary Jassim Redha said yesterday. The meeting was attended by committee chairperson Saqid Rahma, the Assistant Undersecretary for Company Affairs at the BCCI, Ali Radhi, and other committee members. “The chamber will study the proposal which aims to issue permits to new and small businesses to share offices. For example, if there are three small companies which want to share one office in a flat, they should be allowed to do so. Many people can run companies from a single room. When such small businesses approach the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for permits they are asked to provide the address of the flat they want to rent,” Redha said. “Individual small companies cannot rent big flats and our proposal aims to help them. We want to encourage small businesses.” Redha said that the council would also present the proposal and suggestions to other ministries concerned and submit a resolution to the Minister of Municipalities and Agricultural Affairs as well.

Council focuses on poll programme
The Manama Municipal Council has discussed the launch of a programme to introduce the framework of the municipal councils to the new candidates who will contest the elections next year.The council’s general meeting focussed on the activities of the public relations committee, and decided to introduce the programme for the candidates in March, council secretary Jassim Redha said.“The programme will include preparations for the municipal elections, workshops and seminars. The public relations committee will also organise a meeting with the candidates and exchange views,” he said.“The committee has finalised plans to visit ministries and governmental organisations including the ministries of Health, of Social Affairs and the Directorate of Environment as well as the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research. The committee will also focus on improving the council’s magazine,” he said.

Council orders parking area in building
The Manama Municipal Council has stopped the renting out of an apartment-cum-shops building until the owner allocates a car park for would-be tenants, writes Naila Barakat.The five-storey building with shops on the ground floor has been built illegally, council secretary Jassim Redha said yesterday. “The owner was supposed to have parking facilities on the ground floor but built the shops, Redha said. “Three to four years ago the building had come up next to a playground opposite the Salmaniya Medical Complex old building and since then the 70-flat building has not been leased because of the violation.“The council has asked him to hire a plot for parking for tenants and shopkeepers and submit a contract document validated by court that there should be parking areas.“The shops are legal because the place has been given a commercial status following an amendment to the municipal law, but there should be parking space,” Redha said.He said that the building has remained unoccupied because the council had not given a green signal to the authorities concerned for other services.

Rebuilding of dilapidated houses being speeded up
AS the number of dilapidated houses in the capital is increasing, the Manama Municipal Council is speeding up the repair and rebuilding of these buildings, as part of the national programme launched under the directives of His Majesty the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, writes Naila Barakat. There are a number of houses in the capital that need to be evacuated and demolished as soon as possible. A total of 70 houses come under the urgent or dangerous houses category, said the Secretary of the Manama Council, Jassim Redha. “The Council’s Rehabilitation Committee for Old houses has managed to evacuate some of these dangerous houses. Among these, 24 crumbling houses have been evacuated and another 36 are in the process of evacuation,” he added. “The Council will soon receive the drawings and designs for these 24 houses from the Ministry of Works and Housing. The ministry has announced that it has a total of 500 old houses to be demolished across the country and soon it will put this project for tender. The 70 ‘urgent category’ houses in different parts of Manama will be reconstructed in this programme,” he added.

Investment for Kids Kingdom discussed
THE investors of the Kids Kingdom yesterday presented a proposal to the Muharraq Municipal Council for BD5 million family recreational project at the Muharraq Great Garden, writes Naila Barakat. The meeting follows notices to the investors by the Manama Municipality and the council to consider another venue in the Capital due to the development of roads network, council chairman Mohammed Al Wazzan said. “The council has a plan to develop the garden for which tenders have been invited. We will review the investors’ proposal. They want to invest about BD5 million in the garden and to have a family recreational project,” Al Wazzan said, adding that the council would reply to their proposal within four weeks.

Overbridges suggested to link schools, offices across roads
By Naila Barakat: In order to facilitate prompt coordination and prevent accidents, the Manama Municipal Council will study the possibility of building overbridges to connect related buildings of schools and government organisations located on either side of thoroughfares.The proposal stems from the example of the bridge that connects the two buildings of the American Mission Hospitals on either side of the road in the Capital.Many schools, governmental offices and organisations have two buildings opposite each other on thoroughfares. Employees of these buildings have to cross the busy roads or streets for work. The council has suggested the construction of bridges to help prevent accidents and facilitate coordination between workers.“Council chairman Murtada Bader has agreed to form a committee to study the possibility of constructing bridges connecting organisations such as the American Mission Hospital buildings,” council secretary Jassim Redha said following the inaugural meeting of the fourth session yesterday. “The meeting approved the issuance of permits to establish two new hospitals in Zinj – a four-storey diabetes hospital by Dr Faisal Al Mahroos and another by Mubarak Al Fadhel.”Redha said that the council also approved a kiosk in the Bilad Al Qadeem Park. The decisions will be forwarded to the Minister of Municipalities and Agricultural Affairs, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, for approval.The meeting also reviewed the council work in the previous three sessions and issued directives to accomplish projects such as the redevelopment of the Central Market.In the meeting, Bader also stressed a work strategy for the council during its final session. “The council agreed to find a site for trucks to load fruit and vegetables at the Central Market. We discussed a number of other decisions which had been approved in the previous sessions.”He said that the council also reviewed the formation of a new legal and financial affairs committee under Majeed Milad, a technical committee under Saqid Rehma, a services and public facilities committee under Tariq Al Sheikh and a public relations committee headed by Mohammed Mansoor. “The council also approved the setting up of foot bridges in Juffair Community Centre, the Jahroomiya Community Centre and a Lebanese restaurant in Gudaibiya because of the heavy traffic in the areas,” he added.The fourth session will also focus on gardens and parks as well as beautification projects. The council will also gear up to attract investment.Redha said Bader might not contest the next municipal elections because he wanted to pave the way for the young blood to assume responsibility. “I hope he will keep in touch with the council through Al Wefaq Society and continue to help us as a consultant to help resolve various issues.”

Waste-recycling drive in Sanabis on Thursday
Continuing with its efforts to protect and preserve the environment, the Manama Municipal Council yesterday launched the third waste-recycling campaign, writes Naila Barakat. The campaign in Sanabis on Thursday from 9 to 11.30am covers the Capital. The drive is designed by councillor Mohammed Mansoor who had worked on the previous two events. “The campaign aims to involve civic, religious and educational organisations in Sanabis,” Mansoor said.“The campaign aims to create a healthy environment and protect and reuse resources. The theme of the project is ‘Cleanliness Is Health.’ The third campaign includes collection of expired medicine that can be dropped at the nearby health centre in Sanabis.“We are also collecting all kinds of papers, especially those with Quranic verses or religious words. The waste is being collected from four locations in Sanabis and will be sent to recycling organisations,” he said.Mansoor said that a team of workers had been set up for the campaign which aimed to reinforce the concept of environment cleanliness. It also aims to encourage efforts to enhance and protect the environment. “The project targets the youth in social and community services, increasing awareness about the importance of recycling. We want to call upon private and public organisations to support the campaign. We have a large number of talented youth who can be active in programmes to increase the awareness about the environment. Such campaigns also aim to discover these talent,” Mansoor said.

Move to tackle expat singles menace

By Naila Barakat: Benefiting from the Kuwaiti and Dubai experience, the Manama Municipal Council has decided to set up a committee to solve the ‘menace’ of expatriate bachelors.The council will also set up a committee to tackle the problem of mushrooming educational institutions which hire villas and change them into training centres.“Activities of bachelor expatriates living in the neighbourhoods of families have created a number of problems. “Several families have asked us to shift the bachelors who are living in groups in small villas or apartments,” council secretary Jassim Redha said yesterday.“The council has decided to form a committee to tackle the menace. We are trying to find special areas where the bachelors can live so that they are away from the residential areas where families live. We will offer the bachelors all the services required.“We are trying to benefit from the experience of Kuwait and Dubai. The Kuwaiti authorities have constructed a complex comprising cinema, shopping centres and other facilities. “The companies that require the services of bachelors have taken these places from the government on rent. As a result, single expatriate men have got all services and facilities at the same place. “Similarly the council is trying to solve the problem in a way that will benefit everybody,” he said.The formation of the committees is part of a master plan which will be discussed at the first meeting of the fourth session of the council on Tuesday. “The other committee will define regulations for educational institutes in the Capital. Educational institutes are mushrooming within residential areas and we don’t have any law to prevent it. The institutions are renting old villas and changing them into training centres. “Both committees will be activated during the fourth session of the council,” he added.“All the committees of the council have started holding meetings to finalise the pending projects and discuss matters which were pending during the previous session. “The fourth session aims to focus on the master plan for the Manama city. We will prepare the main drawings of the districts and the new zoning regulations. “The council is earmarking new areas for highrise buildings, especially near Al Fateh in Juffair, Seef district, King Faisal Highway and other places in the Capital,” he said.Redha said that the council was focusing on a vertical expansion and development of new areas The council is changing a number of residential villas into three-storey buildings to preserve the identity and basic features of various areas and provide more flats and apartments to meet the demand for housing units. “The special committee for commercial roads is going ahead with its plan to change new roads into commercial roads,” Redha said.

Bab fountain to be unveiled this month

By Naila Barakat: ONE of the landmarks of Manama, the Bab Al Bahrain roundabout, that is currently getting a facelift will be unveiled at the end of the month. A BD70,000 water fountain with an outer pool and a lawn will be seen at the roundabout, giving the area a completely new identity, Manama Municipality general director Abdulkarim Hassan told the Bahrain Tribune yesterday.“The idea behind the renovation of the roundabout, or plaza, is to invent a new environment matching the monument of the Bab Al Bahrain gate and achieving tourist needs for a focal point in the capital,” he said. “The prime idea is to create a central fountain made of a jet of water at three metres based within a floral pot of six metres in diametre cascading to a wider pool totalling 20 metres in diametre.”Hassan said the outer pool is constructed of four semi-circles with 12 fountains, three in each. With this, there will be a total of 13 fountains and four flower boxes of 2.5 metres in diametre at the four corners on a lawn. “The total cost of the project is BD70,000 including the electro-mechanical contract and precast jobs. Construction of the project is expected to be completed by the end of the month,” he added. “Manama Municipality anticipates adding the project as a new feature to the entrance of the old souq and the heart of the business sector in Manama.”The project has been designed by Hassan and is being supported by Manama Municipal Council, taking into consideration the renovation of the main roundabout and many new fountains in the capital. He said the existing eight palm trees planted at the roundabout earlier are being replanted at the periphery of the roundabout because these trees have become stronger over the years. Hassan said the project is being handled by Al Mahroos Contracting Services which also maintains the electro-mechanical jobs over the next five years.

Municipal council to reconstitute committees
As the fourth session starts on September 13, the Manama Municipal Council is reconstituting its four committees to examine its projects and issues, writes Naila Barakat. The outgoing committees will hand over their tasks they had looked after during the third session to the new panels which will make an overall report for the session, council secretary Jassim Redha said yesterday. “The council has an extended agenda for the opening of the fourth session for which each committee will submit four topics and issues. Councillors have set an improved plan for the session,” he said. The committees will be formed by Sunday or Monday and will meet before the session begins. The council is mandated to have two meetings which are scheduled for September 13 and September 27, he said.

Council to review business timings

The Central Municipal Council is convening on Saturday to review the business timings for industries and service shops in its areas, writes Naila Barakat.
The council will finalise new timings for industries, laundry services, cold stores and other shops, the chairman of the health and environment committee, Abbas Mahfoodh, said.
“Industries and service shops in Tubli, Mameer and Salmabad work until late hours and the committee tasked with rescheduling the timings will set new regulations. The decision follows reports that some shops remain open until midnight and some until 2am. Even industries close late. We have received complaints from residents, particularly from Mameer, Salmabad and Tubli, about people honking their cars and demanding various things from cold stores and other services shops,” he said.
Mahfoodh said that the committee would prepare four or five schedules based on the category of each business and there would be different timings for industries, institutions, cold stores and other shops. “The Capital Municipal Council has introduced new business hours in Manama. Normally shops remain open until midnight in Tubli and some even after 12pm. No shop should remain open after midnight.”