The Utilities Co-ordination Committee (UCC) chaired by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has held a workshop attended by all entities represented in the UCC, namely the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) and the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
The workshop was aimed at discussing and updating signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Ashghal and the entities concerned in relation to road and infrastructure projects across Qatar.
The workshop was held in the context of continuous co-operation and co-ordination between government entities, Ashghal said in a statement.
Saoud al-Tamimi, manager of Ashghal’s Roads Projects Department and chairman of the UCC, said: “The workshop witnessed very good interaction between the attendees, which indicates the keenness of all government agencies on co-operation and to work hand in hand to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030 in addition to the delivery of all commitments for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.”
Al-Tamimi said the efforts exerted by the UCC’s participating entities over the last few years have led to the resolution of most of the issues and matters raised before the committee. He also noted that the MoUs signed between Ashghal and the other entities have played a significant role in saving time and reducing costs.
The MoUs provided the basis on which approved and streamlined processes and procedures were established to handle existing services and co-ordinate work among contractors. They also facilitated the regulation of land allocation processes and elimination of all challenges that hindered or delayed project construction, the statement pointed out.
Ibrahim Abbas, manager of the MME’s Infrastructure Planning Department and the ministry’s representative for planning affairs, said the MME had entered into an agreement with Ashghal with regard to land allocation and the subdivision and issuance of building permits in 2012. The agreement helped expedite work in the new residential
subdivisions.
Abbas added that the workshop was a “very good opportunity to review this agreement and undertake the necessary changes in addition to considering other means of co-operation with Ashghal and the other government service agencies”.
Fahad Telfat, manager of Kahramaa’s Water Network Sector and UCC member, praised the close co-ordination and co-operation between the corporation and Ashghal and emphasised the importance of this co-operation in the success of projects as the provision of utilities in both existing and new areas largely depended on such co-ordination.
Brigadier Mohamed Maarifiya, manager of the Traffic Safety & Engineering Department and the MoI representative in the UCC, emphasised the importance of co-ordination meetings and workshops between government agencies. He also praised the UCC’s role in setting a strategy for integrated infrastructure development and in finding solutions to guarantee traffic safety on roads and traffic flow through diversions during project
construction.
The two-day workshop discussed the design and construction workloads between Ashghal and Kahramaa, reviewed the current procedures for traffic diversions and the land allocation agreement with the MME. In addition, the workshop discussed backfilling and reinstatement procedures.
A session in progress during the workshop.
