Qatar adopts GSO regulation on import and manufacture of toys

QNA/DohaQatar has adopted a regulation set by the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO) for import and manufacture of toys with a view to ensuring their safety.  The weekly Cabinet meeting, presided over by HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, yesterday ratified a draft decision by the Minister of Environment to endorse a Gulf technical regulation in this regard.The regulation issued by the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO), aims to clarify basic requirements that must be available in toys whether produced domestically or imported to any GSO member-state. Free trading in these items is allowed without any obstacles at customs and ports unless there are reasons that prevent it.  The Cabinet also took steps to issue a law regulating tenders, after examining the recommendation of the Advisory Council about the draft law.The bill stipulates that provisions of the tenders and auctions law are applicable to ministries, government bodies and general authorities and institutions. The armed forces, police, state security authority and other military bodies are excluded from the application of the law in relation to secret contracts, for which an Emiri decision is issued to regulate their tenders and deals.The bill also doesn’t apply to Qatar Petroleum as well as entities that the Cabinet excludes based on a proposal from the minister of finance.The Cabinet can issue a decision based on a proposal from the minister of finance to apply provisions of the law to entities whose budgets are funded or supervised by the state.The tenders draft law includes provisions related to contracting, submitting and evaluating bids and insurance, concluding and implementing contracts, and tenders.As per the provisions of the bill, one or more government committee is to be established to run tenders, auctions, competitions and irect agreements. The committee will comprise no less than five and no more than seven government employees, including its chairman and deputy.A representative from the State Audit Bureau as well as the department concerned with organising the tenders and auctions must attend the meetings of the committee as observers.In addition, the meeting ratified a Cabinet draft decision to issue the executive regulations for the tenders and auctions law.The executive regulations featured detailed provisions related to preliminary procedures for bidding as well as the powers of the tenders and auctions committee at the government entity and its system of work, the temporary insurance to be paid along with each bid, the final insurance, procedures of bidding, opening envelopes, technical evaluation, deciding on tenders, framework contracts, two-stage tendering, restricted tendering, qualifying companies, practice, competition, direct agreement, contract signing and execution, sale of items, renting of real estate and movables, classification of contractors and evaluating their performance.  The Cabinet ratified the reconciliation law in crimes states in some environment laws. According to the provisions of the law, departments concerned at the ministry of environment can reconcile in crimes before a final verdict is given provided that the crime’s punishment was a fine or jail and fine as long as there is a choice between the two sentences. Reconciliation is not allowed in crimes punishable by a mandatory jail sentence.Reconciliation is agreed in exchange for paying a sum equal to a quarter of the fine’s specified maximum within seven days of the violation’s date. Half the fine’s specified maximum is to be paid if reconciliation is agreed after seven days.Meanwhile, the Cabinet ratified a draft decision by the minister of transport obliging ships and floating facilities to install Automatic Identification System (AIS) and VHF set.According to the draft decision, AIS is an automatic tracking system that identifies ships and floating facilities and VHF system is a high frequency radio that operates within the system of marine rescue, safety and emergency. The decision applies to ships and floating facilities that are licensed to be present and operate in territorial waters. Qatari ships and floating facilities are required to fix and operate the two systems before concluding their registration process.The meeting endorsed the proposal of Qatar News Agency (QNA) to open media bureaus for some foreign news agencies to operate inside the country with directors and heads of these bureaus being granted entry visas and residency license without sponsors in line with provisions of Article (3/43) of Law 4 of 2009 on the regulation of the entry and exit of visitors, their residency and sponsorship.QNA is the entity in the country concerned with drawing and executing the foreign media strategy and deepening ties with the different media bodies and personalities abroad.The Cabinet agreed to apply provisions of Law 24 of 2002 on retirement and pensions for Qatari employees of Sheikh Eid Charity Foundation. It also agreed to host the 12th meeting of heads of zakat bureaus of GCC states in Doha on November 15 and 16.Additionally, the Cabinet took steps to ratify a an agreement between the Central American Integration System (SICA) and Qatar on enrolling Qatar to the organisation as an observing member.It ratified a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on pushing forward Qatari-Chinese co-operation in building the Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road between Qatar’s Foreign Min+istry and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).The meeting also endorsed an MoU between Qatar’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and China’s State General Administration of Sports.The Cabinet reviewed a letter by HE the minister of development planning and statistics who heads the Standing Committee on Population on its fifth national report on Qatar population status in 2014 five years after the launch of the population policy.The minister noted that Qatar ranked first among Arab states and 31st all over the world in human development according to the 2014 human development report released by UNDP. The national report explained the status of Qatar’s population in terms of six main pillars, namely: population and labour force; urban growth, housing and environment; education, training and youth; public health and reproductive health; woman and childhood; the elderly and people with disabilities; and general evaluation and future visions of executing Qatar’s population policy.The Cabinet also reviewed a letter by HE the minister of development planning and statistics on the outcome of the second meeting for ministers of economy, commerce and investment between Arab countries and Turkey, which was held in Kuwait in April.It examined a letter by HE QFC Regulatory Authority’s (QFCRA) board chairman on a report on QFC activities between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015.