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DIVORCED and widowed mothers with custodial rights over their children could be exempted from paying utility bills during the summer, if MPs have their way.
Legislators Lulwa Al Romaihi and Dr Muneer Suroor have submitted a proposal calling for a waiver of electricity and water bills for eligible families from June to September every year – a period marked by soaring temperatures and significantly higher electricity use.
It has been referred to Parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee by Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam for review.
Ms Al Romaihi said the initiative stems from a constitutional obligation to protect vulnerable groups.
“The Constitution clearly mandates the state to safeguard widows, divorcees, and families lacking a breadwinner,” said Ms Al Romaihi.
Ms Al Romaihi
“These women carry the full weight of raising children alone. Exempting them from summer utility bills is not a luxury, it’s a humane, necessary step to ensure a dignified life.”
Dr Suroor highlighted the financial strain these families face during Bahrain’s intense summer months.
“Electricity and water costs rise sharply in summer because families must keep air conditioning running for their children,” Dr Suroor said.
Dr Suroor
“For widowed and divorced mothers, every dinar counts. This exemption would ease their burdens and help them direct their limited income to essentials such as food, education and healthcare.”
According to the MPs, the proposal seeks to ensure a decent standard of living for mothers raising children without support.
It aims to reduce financial pressure on single-income households and improve living conditions for young children.
In its response, the Electricity and Water Affairs Ministry said Bahrain already offers one of the lowest electricity tariffs in the region, with subsidies covering nearly 90 per cent of production costs for Bahraini households.
The ministry also noted that existing royal support provides BD10-20 monthly discounts for low-income families registered with the Social Development Ministry.
Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Yasser Humaidan said the ministry recognises the challenges faced by vulnerable groups, but warned of wider financial consequences if the proposal is implemented.
“We fully appreciate the social dimension of this proposal,” Mr Humaidan said.
“However, expanding exemptions could open the door to similar demands from other groups and significantly reduce the authority’s revenues, affecting future service-improvement plans.”
He, however, emphasised the government’s commitment to continuing targeted support schemes for families most in need.
The public utilities and environment affairs committee, chaired by MP Mohammed Al Bulooshi, has backed the proposal, which will be debated by MPs on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, another proposal that seeks to extend paid maternity leave for Bahraini women employees, under fair and clearly defined conditions that protect both family interests and workplace productivity, is set for a vote in Parliament on Tuesday.
It has been submitted by MP Dr Ali Majid Al Nuaimi, who believes the move would reduce social pressure on new mothers and strengthen women’s loyalty and sense of belonging in the workplace.
The proposal seeks to grant female employees two months of fully paid maternity leave, while also allowing them to extend the period under specific regulations to be determined by the government.
In its response, the Civil Service Commission warned of the financial and operational implications of increasing maternity leave durations in the public sector.
Women currently make up 57.4pc of the civil service workforce, and any additional paid leave would lead to higher financial burdens and could affect productivity in vital sectors such as education, health and utilities, the commission noted.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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