A three-year strategy designed to upgrade municipal work was launched yesterday. The plan will run until 2014 and focuses on improving four municipal sectors - development, urbanisation, services and agriculture.

Called "Elevation and Progress", it is being spearheaded by the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry and has been drawn up in line with the government's Economic Vision 2030.

It was launched yesterday by Deputy Premier Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa at the Crowne Plaza's Bahrain Conference Centre.

Present were Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi, Housing Minister Bassim Al Hamer, municipal council chairmen, under-secretaries, senior government officials and dignitaries.

"The ministry has been keen on improving its municipal offerings over the past, but that needs a proper work plan," said Dr Al Ka'abi in his speech at the ceremony.

"Our work is connected with many ministries and government organisations and this means that we are a foundation for many sectors in this country. We have selected a specialised company - TiM International - to prepare for us a study since March, 2010, and through their study we were able to outline our strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

"The ministry had to look for ways to simplify and improve and today we are on the right path of making those introductions as we look to ways of making our four sectors - development, urbanisation, services and agriculture - better."

Dr Al Ka'abi said that the ministry would first work on administrative reforms to enhance employees' abilities and capabilities.

"We have to improve our administrators' performance, our work infrastructure and have quality assessment on our human resources to ensure that they were in line with the tasks given to them," he added.

He said the ministry would also have to exert more efforts on its master plan for 2030, which underlines future zoning of private and government services and facilities.

"We have to create a planning system that ensures that our work is in line with the social and economic needs of Bahrain," added the minister.

Dr Al Ka'abi revealed there was a plan to move towards local municipal governance to ensure the public were getting proper services.

"More chance has to be given to municipal councils to express people's needs and we have to ensure the public can get easy access to us and this comes through more on offer electronically," he said.

"Agriculture has to be looked carefully at and Bahrain can achieve a lot in this field, but proper planning is required in co-operation with regional and international establishments."

Dr Al Ka'abi said that the ministry's strategy wouldn't turn into reality without plans being drawn up properly.

"We have to understand our message and vision if we are to provide the best in whatever we do," he said. Bahrain is seeing a turning point and this is why we have to be working in balance with it and the ministry's strategy is flexible that it could deal with the future in all of its stages."

Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Nabeel Abu Al Fateh highlighted the strategy in detail in a presentation during the ceremony.

"The strategy will help us remove any clash in employees' duties and responsibilities and ensure that everyone is doing their assigned work, which means that less time gets wasted," said Dr Abu Al Fateh. "We will also introduce a proper promotion structure that defines employees' future and where they would be so they would have the necessary motivation to fulfil their work by themselves.”

"The ministry is looking for quality employees and integrating within its future plans, in addition to existing employees who will be tasked to develop and improve," he said.

Dr Abu Al Fateh said that this will reflect on the success of the establishment's work in general.

"We have many partners that depend on us and when we have a strong team that gives them relief that the best will be provided," he added.

"It will also ensure that the people will have easy access to municipal officials in which they can convey their needs in the fastest way possible and get their problem or service looked into without any delay or hassle.

"The strategy will also enable us to achieve more co-operation with the community with development programmes like 'Elevate' as an example, in which the community carries its own municipal work to beautify and improve their surroundings," he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service