SPECIFIC locations should be earmarked to store items seized from illegal traders and an open auction staged for items of value to be sold on, says Bahrain’s largest municipal council.
The proposal, to allocate land for seized items of various nature, was tabled yesterday by Northern Municipal Council’s technical committee chairman Abdullah Al Qubaisi.
He claimed that, currently, seized food items were found dumped in random locations following seizure by Northern Municipality inspectors and scrap vehicles were auctioned off to only a limited number of traders.
“We don’t know what happens to these items and the entire mechanism appears chaotic,” he said. “The fact that no land has been allocated for the proper storage and disposal of these items is unacceptable.
“There are also occasions when animals are seized and we don’t know where they end up going to.”
Mr Al Qubaisi alleged that ‘only specific traders’ were currently allowed to take part in auctions leading to unfair competition. He believes government auctions featuring animals, scrap and abandoned vehicles and items displayed illegally on public roads should be open to all traders and announced by official media outlets.
Councillors unanimously approved the proposal which will now be referred to Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Minister Wael Al Mubarak for review.
Meanwhile, they also approved two proposals to ‘unfreeze’ licensing of special projects in residential areas, as well as for hanging umbrellas installed in the forefront of residential homes.
According to councillors, requests for permission to install umbrellas and carry out specific projects remained ‘under study’ for years without any clear reasons for the delay in decision making from the concerned authorities.
“New housing towns require special projects such as nurseries, kindergartens, clinics and other special nature schemes,” added Mr Al Qubaisi.
“For the past seven years many of these kinds of projects have remained frozen ‘under study’. “Some people have taken out loans and have financial burdens and find themselves being unable to carry out their projects.
“It doesn’t seem fair that requests appear to go through a ‘very tight funnel’ for approval with an unjust mechanism in place.”
Meanwhile, council chairman Ahmed Al Kooheji added that under Housing Ministry regulations, units are allowed one hanging umbrella in front of their homes to provide shaded parking for a vehicle.
He added that the previous process for these umbrellas was done through annual licensing under the Northern Municipality.
Councillors approved the proposals to unfreeze requests for special projects and shade umbrellas which will now also be referred to Mr Al Mubarak for review.
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