SAFE FOOD CALL

Posted on » Wednesday, April 03, 2013- GDN MANAMA: The Premier yesterday called for a tighter food security clampdown to ensure the safety of meat and poultry. He cited regular failures in agriculture, livestock and fisheries operations and particularly urged better control and supervision of imported meat. This follows the confiscation last week of five tonnes of rotten meat from Australia. His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa visited Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry where he met Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi, chairmen of municipal councils and senior ministry officials. He ordered to ensure the availability of meat products and provide more land for development and service projects. He also directed the ministry to develop a plan to renovate dilapidated houses while preserving their distinctive historical features, facilitate citizens' transactions and remove obstacles facing them. The Premier emphasised that municipal work should be kept away from polarisation. "The government has always tried to develop cities and villages across the kingdom according to a well-prepared plan that meets the needs of citizens and suits future expansion and population growth despite the desperate attempts of saboteurs and vandals to disrupt the development and nation-building process through deliberate targeting of some projects," he said. He urged the ministry's senior officials to double their efforts in order to push the development process forward and attract more investments. Meanwhile, Dr Al Ka'abi said that the Premier's visit is in line with his constant support for municipal work. He added that the ministry has developed its projects in line with the Premier's directives to give citizen-oriented services top priority.