Committee to discuss issues related to FTA - Bahrain
Bahrain Tribune
Committee to discuss issues related to FTA - Bahrain
20 September 2004
THE joint committee of the Capital Governorate and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry will meet next week to outline programmes for new business ventures following the formalisation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Bahrain and the USA.
"The committee will meet to discuss issues related to the FTA," the Capital Governor, Shaikh Hmood bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, told the Tribune yesterday.
"The signing of the FTA with the US is a vote of confidence and a push forward for Bahrain’s dynamic economy," said Shaikh Hmood, who will head the USA FTA follow-up committee at the BCCI,
"Bahrain, being positioned as the first GCC country to sign the FTA with the US, will also help the regional economies to grow in line with the dynamic changes taking place in the global trade and investment market," said Shaikh Hmood.
"Bahrain offers a wide range of investment opportunities and the Free Trade Agreement will trigger even further the economic, trade and business activities in Bahrain," he said.
"Our role as a Governorate is to provide full co-operation to the private sector. We are looking forward to meeting the private sector and discuss their needs based on the rules and regulations of the FTA," said Shaikh Hmood. "The governorate will act as a consultant between the concerned ministries and the private sector."
In his weekly majlis held at the Governorate, Shaikh Hmood congratulated His Majesty the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, for the signing of the FTA agreement with the US.
"With this agreement Bahrain has taken the lead regionally in the trade services," he said. "The agreement will support and encourage the ongoing development in various sectors and we hope that both Bahrain and the US will benefit from this agreement."
"We recently held a meeting with the Minister of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs, Dr Mohammed Ali Al Sitri, Chief Executive of Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), Essam Janahi, and all the people involved to look into the progress of BFH," he said.
