*Cabinet listens to presentation by Health Minister
The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to reduce the number of employees at the workplace of government agencies to 20% of the total workforce from Sunday (March 22) for a period of two weeks.
While 80% of the staff will work from their homes, those present and working from their workplace will help complete the necessary tasks for the functioning and regularity of public facilities, Qatar News Agency (QNA) said quoting a statement issued by HE the Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Dr Issa bin Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi.
The Cabinet decision came after it listened to a presentation made by HE the Minister of Public Health about the latest developments and measures taken by all relevant agencies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to ensure the health and safety of citizens and residents in the country.
This decision will be reviewed and evaluated during the period to take further steps in this regard, the report said.
The military, security and health sectors are excluded from this decision, with an emphasis that state projects are not affected while taking the necessary precautionary and preventive measures. Ministers and heads of government agencies will take the necessary measures in this regard.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani chaired the regular Cabinet meeting held at its headquarters in the Amiri Diwan on Wednesday.
It approved joining the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organisation (AICTO).
The AICTO is an Arab governmental organisation that operates under the umbrella of the Arab League, and one of its goals is to develop the communication and information technologies sector, provide the necessary mechanisms to support cooperation and integration among members of the organisation, develop and enrich joint policies and strategies for the development of this sector in the Arab world at all levels, and monitor Arab needs and energies in the field of communication technologies and provide the appropriate climate to establish fruitful Arab partnership and cooperation in this field, and to benefit from global experiences in the field of communication and information technologies.
The Cabinet approved the Foreign Ministry's proposal to join the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) as a co-operative partner.
The Cabinet took the necessary measures to ratify:
1- Bilateral agreement between Doha Municipality and Sarajevo City in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2- A memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of education, higher education and scientific research between Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
3- A memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the health field, production of medicines and employment of health workers between the government of Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
4- A memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of youth between the government of Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Council of Ministers took note of the contents of the message of HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment on the completion of the first phase of a project to develop the real estate database for Qatar.