The proposal, submitted by a group of MPs led by Parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee chairman MP Mohammed Al Bulooshi, warned that taxpayers were struggling to complete tasks on time because of system disruptions beyond their control, raising fears of pending fines and penalties.
It calls for extending the submission period, suspending late penalties during the extension and offering temporary alternative filing channels or direct technical support until the platform stabilises.
Mr Al Bulooshi said the move was necessary to protect both individuals and businesses.
“Tax compliance should not turn into a penalty for citizens and companies because of technical malfunctions,” he said. “We must ensure fairness in application and maintain confidence in government digital services.”
He stressed that many taxpayers had reported difficulties accessing the system or completing submissions, despite making genuine attempts to meet deadlines.
“This is about balance,” Mr Al Bulooshi added. “We support tax discipline, but we also recognise that the current circumstances require flexibility.”
MPs said the proposal aimed to give authorities sufficient time to resolve the technical issues while safeguarding taxpayers from consequences arising from problems outside their control.
The urgent measure was approved without objection during Parliament’s weekly session and formally referred to the government for action.
Meanwhile, MPs unanimously approved a proposal to amend Bahrain’s rent law to introduce administrative fines on landlords or tenants who misuse family housing for other purposes has been recommended rejection by Parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee, saying the move lacks legal necessity and risks clashing with constitutional safeguards.
The draft amendment, which has now been referred to the Shura Council, aims to add a new clause to Article 6 of the Bahrain Rent Law No 27 of 2014, empowering municipalities to impose an administrative fine - up to the value of a full year’s rent - if a property leased for family residential use is proven to have been used for other purposes.
If the landlord was unaware of the discrepancy, the fine would move to the violating tenant. It also proposed granting selected municipal staff judicial powers to document violations.
MPs also unanimously approved allowing Bahraini pensioners in the private sector to apply for a replacement (commutation) loan just two years after receiving their previous lump sum payment – bringing them in line with the time frame currently granted to government employees.
Under the existing rules, private sector retirees must wait until their previous loan is fully repaid before becoming eligible for another.
The proposed legislation seeks to remove this restriction and establish parity in financial benefits and access for pensioners across both the private and public sectors.
The bill amending Article 144 of the Social Insurance Law to equalise private sector retirees with their public-sector counterparts in accessing the loans has been now forwarded to the Shura Council for review.
Replacement (commutational) loan refers to the process of pension commutation, which is the ability for a pensioner to receive a portion of their future monthly pension payments as a single, lump-sum amount. The cash thus received is paid for by a fixed reduction in their monthly pension for the rest of their life.
MPs also unanimously approved a mutual taxation agreement with the Government of Jersey and referred it to the Shura Council for review.
Parliament also unanimously approved amendments to the following legislations and referred them to the Cabinet to draft as proper law:
A proposal that would make it easier for MPs to move forward with questioning ministers.
At the heart of the draft law is a key change to the voting threshold required for Parliament to deem an interpellation ‘serious’ before it proceeds. Under the current rules, such a decision requires the approval of two-thirds of MPs. The amendment would lower this to a simple majority of members.
Interpellation is a formal parliamentary procedure through which MPs request that the government explain, clarify, or justify its policies, actions, or decisions. Typically presented in written or oral form, this process mandates that the government respond within a specified timeframe.
A second change introduces a new provision allowing interpellations to be debated in a closed session, if requested by the government, the Speaker, or at least 10 MPs. The request itself would be discussed and voted on in a closed setting. If two-thirds of MPs reject the request, the interpellation would proceed in a public session.
Another proposal suggests allowing Bahraini housewives to voluntarily join the national social insurance system. The amended draft law would add a new chapter to the Social Insurance Law Decree-Law No 24 of 1976, enabling housewives to subscribe to social insurance on an optional basis by paying contributions according to a chosen income bracket. Contributions would be set with a minimum equivalent to the pension threshold and a maximum cap of BD500.
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