The Cabinet has approved a draft law on combating the concealment of non-Qatari practice of commercial, economic and professional activities in violation of the law, and referred it to the Shura Council, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reports.
This came at the Cabinet's regular meeting, chaired by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani at the Amiri Diwan on Wednesday.
Following the meeting, HE the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Sulaiti issued a statement giving the details of the proceedings.
The preparation of the above-mentioned draft law comes to replace Law No. 25 of 2004 and within the framework of modernising legislation, creating an investment environment based on transparency, and consolidating the practice of activities in accordance with the provisions of the laws in force in the country, QNA said.
Under the provisions of the draft, any non-Qatari person, whether a natural or legal person, is prohibited from doing the following:
1. To practise or invest in a commercial, economic or professional activity that s/he is not licensed to practise or invest in according to the laws in force in the State.
2. Obtaining percentages of profits that exceed the percentages stipulated in the company's incorporation document or its articles of association.
"It is also prohibited for any natural or legal person to cover up a non-Qatari person by enabling them to practise or invest in a commercial, economic or professional activity in violation of the provisions of the laws in force in the country, whether by allowing them to use the name of the one who covers up, their licence, or their commercial or professional record, or by any other method that enables them to evade their obligations under the laws in force in the country, and whether this is done for the account of the person being covered up or the one who covers up or others," the QNA report states.
The Cabinet was also informed of the Shura Council's approval of the following draft laws:
1. A draft law amending some provisions of Decree Law No. 17 of 2010 on the organisation of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).
2. A draft law regulating the use of cash in transactions.
3. A draft law on the protection of protection of victims, witnesses and other co-operating persons.
Accordingly, the meeting approved a draft Cabinet decision specifying the transactions in which the use of cash is prohibited.
It also approved a draft Cabinet decision to amend some provisions of the executive regulations of the law regulating tenders and auctions issued by Cabinet Decision No. 16 of 2019.
Among the amendments included in the draft decision are the following:
* Adding the definition of local value, which is the total amount spent by a contractor, supplier or service provider within the country to develop national business, services or human resources to stimulate productivity in the local economy.
* Preparing model contracts that government agencies are bound by when concluding any contract, without the need to review the Contracts Department, and it is stipulated that the model should not be modified, and if there is a need for amendment, the department's approval is required after co-ordination with the Contract Department.
* In bids with a value of less than QR5mn, the government entity may limit participation in it to micro, small or medium companies, or all of them classified at the ministry.
Further, the Cabinet gave its nod to a draft decision of HE the Minister of Interior to amend some provisions of Decision No. 11 of 2007 specifying the conditions, controls and periods of granting special leave to the military personnel in the ministry.
The draft decision states that Qatari military female personnel may be granted leave to accompany their children during their stay for treatment in one of the public or private hospitals inside the country, provided that they are not married, and that the leave is approved by the medical committee of the Ministry of Interior.
It also approved a draft decision of HE the Minister of Public Health regarding the conditions and procedures for locating human autopsy locations.
Then, the meeting approved a draft memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Sports and Youth in Qatar and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth in Oman in the field of sports.
The Cabinet reviewed the annual report of the Permanent Population Committee for 2021, and took the appropriate decision in this regard.
This committee, in co-ordination with the competent authorities, undertakes the study of the demographic structure, its characteristics and trends, the proposal of the State's population policy and follow-up to its implementation after its approval, the preparing population-related studies and research aimed at knowing the social reality in the country, developing population policies and programmes, and a number of other tasks. (QNA)