A PROPOSED law to introduce ration cards for Bahrainis to allow them to buy food at subsidised rates has been passed by parliament.
It states that financial support from the government has to be given for previously subsidised items which were lifted in October 2015 as part of cost-cutting measures.
The financial support will range between 10 per cent and 60pc, and will cover higher education, power, government services and food staples including flour, rice and tomato sauce.
The addition of the sauce was the subject of a heated debate during parliament’s weekly session yesterday after it stirred controversy in the local Press and social media with many mocking MPs for their focus on tomato sauce.
Financial and economic affairs committee chairman Abdulrahman Buali, whose committee recommended approving the law, said the tomato sauce had to be removed from the list to avoid “further embarrassment”.
This prompted some MPs to call for the sauce’s removal in support of Mr Buali, while others screamed that “tasteless media should be removed and not the tomato sauce”.
“Tomato sauce is in every meal today from curry to pasta and there is barely any local meal that doesn’t have it,” said MP Mohammed Millad, who proposed the bill.
“No, its addition is not funny, it was done in a logical manner, and follows the same system in Kuwait.”
He was supported by Adel Al Asoomi, who two years ago chaired a joint committee with the government on redirecting subsidies to Bahrainis once axed.
“Kuwait supports 1.8 million Kuwaitis through ration cards and its budget is by far lower than what our government has suggested the cost of the system would be if implemented here,” he said.
“The ration cards will enable the government to control prices and ensure that traders don’t cheat the public since the support will be provided to items or services that are defined.”
Parliament chairman Ahmed Al Mulla demanded defamatory remarks made by the MPs against media outlets to be removed from the official records – adding that his colleagues were out of line.
Partner
“Media is the fourth authority. It is our pride, we respect it, learn from it, depend on it, and we see it as our strategic partner,” said Mr Al Mulla during the session.
“Sometimes harsh criticism of our performance and proposals happen, but that’s out of objectivity and not mockery.
“I thought the idea of including tomato sauce as everyone else is funny, despite acknowledging its vitality as part of the food staple that we want to subidise.”
Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainin said it would not be feasible to introduce such a system.
“The proposed law fails to address the mechanism of funding as it says the government must pump money at the time of financial stability and give the people at the time of crisis, and honestly I don’t know what constitutes as stability and what constitutes as crisis,” said the minister.
Assessment
“MPs want families listed under the Social Welfare and Unemployment Support Laws to benefit from this system, but those listed are already getting financial support according to assessment of their living standards, which means MPs are calling for additional support that we can’t afford.
“The proposed law also states that the Finance Minister should be obliged to run the new fund for the ration cards, but I don’t think he is the right minister.
“There are a lot of aspects regarding the running of such a system that MPs have failed to address.”
However, MPs said the minister’s concerns would be addressed and necessary amendments would be made once the bill was turned into a proper law by the Cabinet and returned to parliament for review.
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