The Cabinet has directed that necessary measures be taken to issue a draft law that specifies regulations for economic zones in the country.
The decision was taken at Wednesday’s ordinary Cabinet meeting after the Council of Ministers reviewed the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the draft legislation, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
Under the provisions of the draft law, the Council of Ministers - upon a proposal of the board of directors of Economic Zones Company (Manateq) - is authorised to establish one or more economic zones with a view to setting up projects and encouraging and attracting investment.
“All types of companies, partnership contracts or any other legal entities, whether owned by one or more natural or legal persons, may be founded or established in the zone by citizens or others,” QNA said.
Such a project will be exempted from obtaining any other licence, approval, permission or registration in the country to engage in this activity. Besides, the project will also be free to transfer any of its capital, income, profits or investments outside the State without restrictions.
In June last year, the Cabinet endorsed the draft law on economic zones and referred it to the Advisory Council. Then, in December, the Advisory Council discussed the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee’s report on the draft law and decided to submit its recommendations to the Cabinet.
Gulf Times had reported previously that the realisation of economic zones under Manateq was expected to further enhance Qatar’s position as a major commercial hub in the GCC region and speed up the country’s policy of diversifying the economy away from oil and gas.
Manateq was set up to develop and operate special economic zones that would provide infrastructure in accordance with the highest international standards in order to reach new levels of economic diversity and promote the growth of small and medium-sized companies and the private sector.
After HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani chaired Wednesday’s ordinary meeting of the Cabinet at the Emiri Diwan, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud said the Cabinet gave its nod to the application of Decree Law No 16 of 2010 Promulgating the Electronic Transactions and Commerce Law on real estate transactions and documentation.
The weekly meeting also approved a draft decision of the Council of Ministers on the conduct of the General Census of Population and Housing and Establishment of 2020.
Further, the Cabinet approved a draft decision of the Council of Ministers on the annual leave of imams working at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. 
The draft decision stipulates that, as an exception to the provisions of Article 63 of Civil Human Resources Law No 15 of 2016, the annual leave of imams of the ministry may be carried over for a period not exceeding three years. While in service, there is no entitlement to receive cash allowance for the remaining and unconsumed balance of their annual leave. 
The Council of Ministers, meanwhile, approved the ratification of two protocols amending the texts of articles 50 (a) and 56 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944).
It also ordered taking the necessary measures to ratify an agreement on mutual administrative assistance for the optimal application of the Customs Law in order to prevent, investigate and combat Customs-related offences between the governments of Qatar and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet gave its nod to a draft agreement on the promotion and protection of mutual investments between the governments of Qatar and Georgia, a draft agreement for co-operation and news exchange between the government of Qatar and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on energy co-operation between the governments of Qatar and Sri Lanka, and a draft MoU for co-operation in security matters between the governments of Qatar and Thailand.
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