Bahrain Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has ordered authorities to prepare a detailed plan for the creation of new Bahraini towns 'as soon as possible'.

HRH Prince Khalifa issued a directive in this regard as he chaired a high-level meeting with Deputy Premiers and heads of ministerial committees on Wednesday.

He also ordered government projects to be fast-tracked to compensate for delays caused by prolonged parliament discussions over the national budget for this year and next year.

Ministers have also been asked to submit periodical reports on their ministries' projects, in which they will have to justify any failure to meet deadlines.

Major developments designed to improve standard of living for Bahrainis; electricity and water production projects; efforts to revitalise the tourism sector; and improving infrastructure such as roads and sewerage were also discussed.

An urban renovation project to develop existing towns and villages also came under the spotlight, with the Premier calling for more villages to be included.

'Villages and towns should receive similar care and attention as they are homes to our dear citizens,' he said.

'We are keen to ensure that all Bahraini citizens, wherever they may be, should get their fair share of development,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service