MANAMA — Bahrain's Cabinet on Monday approved the 2020 population census presented by the country's interior minister. According to the census, the total population of the kingdom stands at 1,501,635 individuals, of whom Bahraini citizens constitute a total of 712,362 or 47.4 percent, while the number of expatriates is 789,273 people or 52.6 percent. In a week session chaired by Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Cabinet Bahrain king's address to the Shura Council and the Council of Representatives, in which he highlighted the country's priorities and development goals, Bahrain News Agency reported. It also welcomed the decision made by the Saudi Cabinet in its last session chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to raise the level of representation for the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council to be headed by the crown princes of the two countries. The Cabinet praised the decision which aims to further strengthen bilateral relations across all levels. The Cabinet extended best wishes to new Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, wishing him success in serving Kuwait and its citizens under his leadership. The Bahraini Cabinet called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to stick to their ceasefire commitment in the Nagorno Karabakh region and find a political solution to the conflict in a way that contributes to achieving security and peace in the two countries. In the meeting, the Bahraini crown prince issued directives to ministers and government agencies to expedite their responses to questions and requests received from the Council of Representative and Shura Council committees, in order to further enhance cooperation between the Executive and Legislative branches. Following the meeting, the Cabinet secretary-general, Dr. Yasser bin Issa Al-Nasser, made the following remarks: The Cabinet reviewed the results of the performance of government agencies in the national system for suggestions and complaints "Tawasul" during the period from October 2019 to September 2020, in light of the memorandum submitted in this regard by the government executive committee. The results showcased the performance of 41 government entities within the "Tawasul" system, based on the efficiency of response to beneficiaries and resolving complaints within the specified time frame in the system. According to the results, 20 government agencies achieved the best performance, of which 13 had been previously awarded in 2019, and an additional 7 entities were added to this year's list. Each government agency will be awarded accordingly, for providing quality services that enhance government efficiency and benefit the Kingdom's citizens and residents. The crown prince emphasized the importance for all government entities to further strengthen the quality of their services, and to respond to complaints in a timely manner. The crown prince further directed for the introduction of initiatives that support the Tawasul system, through assessing the quality and speed of responses to suggestions submitted by the public. The Cabinet also approved the fifth national telecommunications plan, which outlines the government's general policies and strategies regarding the telecommunications sector during the next three years. The goals of the plan include completing the development of the national broadband network, extending its coverage to all homes and institutions at fair and reasonable prices, achieving full equality in the provision of services, and enhancing the role of Bnet in developing infrastructure for optical fibers. The plan further aims to enhance competition within the mobile telecommunications sector, spectrum, and fifth-generation, and to provide international connectivity to and from Bahrain, as well as to further develop the kingdom's digital economy.
