Bahrain: Bonuses paid to heads and members of councils and committees affiliated with the government have been frozen for two budget cycles, including the current one.
The move will also apply to government-owned companies as well as those in which the government owns at least 50 per cent of the stake.
The austerity measure was announced as His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday chaired the weekly Cabinet session at Gudaibiya Palace.
He asked the ministerial committee for financial affairs and the rationalisation of spending to draw up the necessary executive procedures.
“Bonuses paid by some government authorities and companies will also be frozen under the same measure,” said Cabinet secretary-general Dr Yasser Al Nasser.
The Premier gave directives to take all economic and financial measures to protect citizens’ gains and benefits.
He stressed the need to ensure citizens’ decent living standards and maintain the dynamics of economic growth in Bahrain in spite of the repercussions resulting from global economic challenges.
He urged that priority should be given to maintaining unemployment at its lowest level, creating jobs, increasing average salaries and continuing vital projects.
Meanwhile, sources told our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej that bonuses, granted to heads and members of board of directors of government agencies and companies in which the government has at least 50pc stake, exceed BD2 million per year. Hence the move to freeze the bonuses.
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