HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Yousef bin Mohamed al-Othman Fakhro affirmed the National Day is an occasion to renew loyalty. In a statement to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), the minister emphasised the need to emulate late Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani, the Founder of Qatar.
Regarding the most prominent achievements during 2020, the minister said that the ministry is constantly working to achieve the plans and strategies related to its sectors in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. In the administrative development sector, the ministry launched (Kawader) platform, which is an electronic employment platform targeting Qatari job-seekers and children of Qatari women, and the government scholarship programme 2020/2021 in co-ordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, as well as the general plan for training that includes 961 training programmes. 
The minister said that training co-operation with some authorities is continuing to implement workshops and training programmes targeting government employees in various administrative and specialised fields, as 55 programmes have been implemented for new employees, and 82 special training workshops have been implemented for those in leadership and supervisory positions. He also referred to the training plan for 2021, which includes 1110 training programmes that were determined based on a study of the needs of government entities.
Regarding what the labour sector has achieved during the current year, the minister said that, based on the achievements of Qatar National Vision’s goals, major reforms in the field of the labour market were implemented since the launch of the First National Development Strategy 2011-2016, the most prominent of which was the development of the labour market legislation to be more effective and responsive to local and global variables and the requirements of development, noting the determination of minimum wage for workers and domestic workers, and the regulation of the entry and exit of expatriates and their residence, and the issuance of Occupational Safety and Health Policy (OSH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, in addition to the co-operation with Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry to support business continuity and the preservation of skilled labour force.
In the social affairs sector, the minister referred to the issuance of a Decree Law No 21 of 2020 regarding private associations and institutions, and the establishment of the National Committee for Woman, Child, Elderly and Persons with Disabilities Affairs.
He added that in the framework of qualifying beneficiaries of social security who are of working age and are able to do it, the qualification plan for 2021 has been prepared in co-operation with the Institute of Public Administration.
The labour minister pointed out that Qatar and the world faced an exceptional year with the Covid-19 pandemic, but Qatar developed an integrated series of strategic plans to address this global crisis. He explained that the ministry has completed its efforts in achieving the goals of the Second National Development Strategy 2018- 2022, as it has implemented a number of initiatives to maintain the continuity of the implementation of projects of the strategy easily by the development of services and transferred them to be electronic.
The minister noted that in order to facilitate the provision of government services to citizens and residents of the state, eight outlets for self-service distributed in three compounds were opened, and the ministry, in co-operation with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar Media Corporation, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Qatar Charity, prepared and implemented an awareness plan to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
HE Yousef bin Mohamed al-Othman Fakhro said that the wise vision of our wise leadership contributed to addressing the challenges that the world and our community witnessed during the year 2020, adding that this is represented in converting challenges into opportunities based on thoughtful planning and correct management of crises, as well as setting expectations and necessary solutions.
The ministry has taken advantage of these opportunities, guided by the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, as necessary services were provided to citizens and residents, in co-operation with the relevant authorities, by providing them with safety and protection from Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the continuation of their lives normally.