Bahrain Mirror: The Bahraini government has expressed reservation regarding a bill to amend the budget law, obligating the Minister of Finance to present the draft budget law to the Cabinet before the end of August of the current fiscal year. The Cabinet shall approve and present it to the Shura Council and House of Representatives at least two months before the end of the current fiscal year, according to the Constitution.

That is to avoid a delay in presenting the budget, and thus inevitably a delay in passing it, which would lead to resorting to the method of monthly collection and disbursement.

The bill, as well as the preamble, consists of two articles. The first article stipulates that the text of Article (24) of Decree-Law No. (39) of 2002 on the general budget shall be replaced by another text obligating the Minister of Finance to present the draft budget law to the Council of Ministers to be approved before the end of August of the current fiscal year, and then submitted to the Shura Council and House of Representatives at least two months before the end of the said year, while the second article is of executive nature.

Arabic Version