A moment from yesterday’s CMC session.
By Ayman Adly/Staff Reporter
Qatari fishermen should be assigned a port in Doha city and given subsidies and support to encourage them to be more competitive in the market, it has been suggested.
The Central Municipal Council (CMC) yesterday recommended that local fishermen be given subsidised diesel in collaboration with Woqod and provided with fuel stations at the Al Wakrah and Al Khor ports.
Further, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) should study the possibility of helping them acquire sophisticated fishing equipment and the feasibility of creating a local factory for such tools. It has also been suggested that the MoE should encourage Qataris to invest more in fish farms, providing them with the necessary facilities to make such projects a success.
The CMC said the Ministry of Municipality & Urban Planning (MMUP) could create fish markets close to fishing ports and allow the Qatari fishermen to sell their catch at commercial outlets as well. Similarly, the Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA) should consider the possibility of creating a society or association for local fishermen.
Earlier, a group of Qatari fishermen had explained the difficulties they faced before the CMC, complaining that they did not have enough state support in their profession. They listed various requirements that they believed would improve their conditions and, in turn, reflect positively on the produce in the local market. The CMC raised the issue with the officials concerned before coming up with a set of recommendations.
Meanwhile, the council addressed the unavailability of comprehensive veterinary services in the country, which undermined the wellbeing of local animal wealth. These included shortage in terms of necessary drugs and vaccines, very few veterinarians outside Doha city, where most farms and stables were located, and non-existence of emergency services.
It was also pointed out that there was a dearth of awareness programmes for farm/stable and livestock owners. Besides, diseases that affected livestock - such as scabies - were not contained as quickly as needed to prevent their spread.
Consequently, the CMC recommended that the MoE set up a number of mobile and fixed veterinary clinics, which would have sophisticated equipment and adequate number of veterinarians, to provide livestock owners with timely and effective services.
The MoE should also ensure timely vaccination for infected animals and guarantee that all necessary drugs and vaccines were available through a joint project with other GCC countries. Further, more veterinarians should be hired and housed in areas close to livestock farms so that they could be easily accessed in times of need. They should also conduct regular field studies at the farms and make necessary checks.
The council stressed the role of awareness campaigns, especially through the local media, to inform livestock owners on how to better handle their animals.
Jassim al-Malki, the CMC vice-chairman, had earlier raised the issue of buildings roofs being used as storage areas for refused material and household/office equipment, stressing that these tarnished the image of the country and also posed a threat to people and property.
At the council’s regular bi-weekly session yesterday, the CMC service and utility committee made various recommendations to deal with the problem. It suggested that the MMUP study the possibility of modifying the terms and conditions for issuing building licences in general, making it binding for owners to keep the roofs of their building clean and free of any refuse.
In addition, roofs of commercial and private buildings could be used to create gardens and sports grounds. The different municipalities of MMUP should conduct regular aerial surveys of buildings in their jurisdiction to spot the violators and take necessary action. Besides, Civil Defence personnel could conduct inspection tours in such buildings to ensure compliance.
Al-Malki suggested that the country should prepare a handbook on construction strategy and a guide on dealing with tremors and natural disasters to avoid any potential loss in case of earthquakes, like those that took place recently in Iran. The suggestion was moved to the CMC services committee for further study.
Scanner on fees charged by dental clinics
The CMC yesterday reviewed the responses of the Ministry of Business & Trade (MBT) and the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) on the issue of rising fees at dental clinics in the country. The MBT affirmed that a price list has to be displayed clearly in all clinics - indicating in detail the charges and services. Customers should also have a clear understanding of the nature of services they will get on payment of such fees. The SCH said clinics are not allowed to modify their price lists without getting prior approval from the council. A study will be conducted to look into the possibility of reducing such charges without undermining the level of quality of treatment.