Muscat: Majlis Al Shura yesterday held its second annual session of the fourth annual sitting 2018-2019 of the 8th term 2015-2019 under the chair of Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura.
During the session, Majlis Al Shura discussed the report of the Economic and Financial Committee on the draft state general budget for the fiscal year 2019, which was referred by the government according to the provision of Articles 90 and 91 of Majlis Al Shura Internal Regulations.
The two articles state that if Majlis Al Shura voted for the confidentiality of the session, the hall and balconies will be evicted of the authorised persons. The session will be attended by members of Majlis Al Shura only except for those authorised by the Majlis.
During the session Dr. Saleh bin Said Messan, Chairman and Rapporteur of the Economic and Financial Committee presented the report of the Committee including the visions and remarks on the public revenues, expenditure estimates, the management of public debt in 2019, the subsidy policies, the government investments status, the economic diversification programme, the foreign direct investment and the privatisation programme. It also included a number of recommendations that were made by the Committee.
During his opening speech, the Majlis Chairman pointed out that the second session of the fourth annual sitting of the fourth term coincides with the end of the third fiscal year of the 9th five-year development plan (2016-2020).
The state general budget is the third executive programme for the development plan. Members of Majlis discussed in detail the articles of the Committee’s report with relation to the measures and outcomes of the national economic diversification programme, the policies of the subsidy provided to citizens and the efforts made to enhance the public investments.
On Monday, members of Majlis Al Shura will listen during a non-public session to the statement of the Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs on the Draft State General Budget for the Fiscal Year 2019 and will discuss the same with him.