THE cost of Covid-19 PCR tests for Bahrainis returning home could be slashed by around 50 per cent under an urgent parliamentary proposal approved unanimously yesterday.
The proposal was submitted by five MPs led by Ammar Qambar and will be now reviewed by the Cabinet.
Travellers arriving in Bahrain are required to pay BD36 for three tests. “A Bahraini family of five has to pay BD180 which is an extremely high expense,” said Mr Qambar.
“Several Bahraini families travelled during the National Day holidays but have complained that the amount they paid was equivalent to a sixth member accompanying them.”
Dr Hisham Al Asheeri said Bahrain was conducting 20,000 random tests a day for Bahrainis and expats free of charge. “I don’t believe that having 1,000 free tests a day would be a financial burden on the government; however, we are proposing a 50pc reduction in the costs.
“The UAE exempts its returning citizens from tests, while expats pay only 50 dirhams; we need similar forward thinking here.”
Meanwhile, MPs approved the following urgent proposals and referred them to the government for review:
. Recruiting 202 unemployed Bahraini medics who volunteered their services during the pandemic;
. Honouring volunteers at worship places with cash rewards;
. Providing the National Assembly with the internal newsletter of Bahrain Bourse to help with legislation;
. Ending the bureaucratic procedures at the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) in dispensing payments of a deceased employee within a maximum of one month rather the current six-month period.
. Granting Customs and NPRA employees two promotions along with backdated pay for services rendered during the pandemic.
MPs also approved and referred six other proposals to the Cabinet that were reviewed by the concerned committees;
. Establishing an anti-rumours unit;
. A specialised dentistry government centre;
. Giving free health registration to productive families operating business from homes;
. Compensating shrimpers affected by the trawling ban;
. Investing in agriculture projects in land given by the Sudanese government;
. Establishing a new company for shrimp aquaculture between the private and government sectors with a share for Bahraini shrimpers.
MPs also unanimously approved amendments to the 1977 Buildings Law that would drastically lower the current fines from BD1,000 to BD10,000 to only BD500 for licensing violations.
Those who violate given permissions would be only fined BD500 rather than between BD500 and BD5,000 under the current law.
Failure to remove the fine would be met with a BD50 one-off fine rather than BD10 for each day.
The government has six months to draft it as a proper law and refer it back to the National Assembly.
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