Cabinet: Pipeline terror attack dangerous escalation

The Cabinet has strongly condemned the terrorist attack which caused an explosion in one of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapaco)’s oil pipelines near Buri area, resulting in damages to vital and economic interests as well as to property of individuals and enterprises.
The terrorist attack also put individuals’ safety at risk and spread panic among them, the session said.
This came as His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa chaired the regular weekly Cabinet session, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, at the Gudaibiya Palace today.
According to a statement by the Cabinet Secretary-General, Dr. Yasser bin Isa Al-Nasser, the session described the oil pipeline explosion as an escalation in terrorist acts and criminal methods aimed at targeting vital interests and installations and jeopardizing the citizens’ safety.
The terrorist blast is a dangerous aggression that reveals the role played by the Iranian regime which is responsible for many acts of sabotage that affect security and stability in Bahrain and the region, the Cabinet said.
It stressed that the Tehran regime gives direct instructions to terrorist elements in Bahrain to carry out its plans to subvert security and stability, as part of Iran’s violations in the Arab world, and blatant interference in its domestic affairs for the sake of undermining its security and civic peace.
The Cabinet said that such an Iranian meddling in the region has escalated recently through the hostile aggressive attack by the Tehran-supported Houthi militias, who targeted the Saudi capital Riyadh with an Iran-made ballistic missile from Yemen, in addition to the explosion of an oil pipeline in Bahrain. 
The session stressed that the terrorist elements involved in such a heinous crime will be confronted firmly and severely by the force of the law, pledging that the arm of the law will reach the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
"The government will spare no effort for the sake of maintaining security and ensuring public safety," the session said.
The Cabinet was informed, through a security briefing by the Interior Minister, about the circumstances of the Buri pipeline terrorist crime, as well as about the swift measures taken by the competent security authorities to deal with it.
The session commended the tremendous efforts exerted by the relevant security authorities, as well as the cooperation of the citizens and residents with them while they were dealing with the terrorist explosion.
The Cabinet extended deepest thanks and appreciation to the Saudi government, under eth leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, for the prompt cooperation of the relevant Saudi authorities in dealing with the terrorist incident, which resulted in the resumption of oil supplies between the two countries in record time. 
The session also extended thanks and appreciation to brotherly and friendly countries, and to regional and international entities and organisations for their stances in support of Bahrain and its measures to protect its security and stability.
HRH the Prime Minister, while reviewing a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, gave directives to acquire more land lots in a number of regions in order to be allocated for public utility projects, including the Salmabad Housing Project and the expansion of some streets in Al-Dair and Jid Hafs. 
In this context, the session endorsed the acquisition of real estates for the Pearl Museum in Muharraq, and approved rectifying the situation of some real estates in Al-Dair and Jid-Hafs.
The Cabinet decided to cancel the "expatriate allowance" paid to non-Bahraini employees with foreign contracts, saying there was no justification to keep the bonus, given the great number of competent and expert Bahrainis in the public sector.
Accordingly, the Civil Service Bureau was tasked to settle the situation of current expatriate employees through comprehensive contracts that maintain their entitlements.
The move is in line with the government’s approach to reduce public expenditure.
The session endorsed a draft Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income between Bahrain and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
The Finance Minister was mandated to sign the agreement on behalf of the kingdom.
The agreement aims to provide the necessary legal, legislative and economic framework for encouraging the flow of capitals and joint investments.
The Cabinet discussed a number of proposals, and referred the government’s replies on them to the Council of Representatives, given the fact that their objectives are already guaranteed and ensured by of the government.
The proposals were related multi-storey parking lots in some hospitals, regulating the working hours for doctors in dental clinics in health centres, medical radiology services, facilitating access to Al-Janabiya, building hotel apartments in some areas, and the Bahraini Sports Federation for Disabilities.
Regarding ministerial reports, the Cabinet was briefed about the results of Bahrain’s participation in the Dubai Airshow 2017, the World Travel Market, held recently in London, UK, and the World Youth Forum, held recently in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.