Municipal counters open

EIGHT counters have opened at the Manama Municipality to register building permit applications and receive municipal fines.The Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, inaugurated the counters yesterday in the presence of the General Director of the municipality, Abdulkarim Hassam, Manama Municipal Council chairman Murtada Bader, secretary Jassim Redha and other officials. The counters aim to speed up the processing of applications and other work as part of the municipality’s initiative to facilitate e-municipality.Al Saleh said the ministry would extend the facility to all other municipalities. “We are trying to put everything concept-wise. Once people submit their applications, there will be follow-up by SMS on their papers and when they will receive the permits. The counters will handle licences for advertisements,” Redha said.He said the counters would work from 7am to 12.30pm. There will be a support team of engineers to expedite the work and solve problems.