The cabinet yesterday approved a draft law on economic zones, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud said after a cabinet meeting.
The meeting was chaired by HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
According to the provisions of the bill and based on a proposal from the board of Economic Zones Company, it regulates the establishment of an economic zone, specifying its area and borders, the establishment of one or more ports attached to it whether sea, air or land port.
All types of companies, sharing contracts or other legal entities can be created or established at the economic zone. These can be owned by a normal or legal person or more than one person - either citizens or others without adhering to regulating laws in this regard.
According to the provisions of the law, a project licensed to work at the zone or through it, is exempted from obtaining another licence, approval, permission, or registration to carry out that work.
A project underway at the zone enjoys unrestricted transfer of capital, revenues or investments out of the country.
The Economic Zones Company is to be granted a 50-year concession from the issuance of the law, during which it solely becomes in charge of the management, development, operation, and maintenance of the zone and zones associated with projects the state assigns to it.
Also yesterday, the cabinet approved the minister of interior’s decision to specify charges for towing vehicles. The ministry prepared the draft ahead of issuing it in implementation of Provision No 89 of Traffic Law issued as Law No 19 of 2007 and amended as Law No 16 of 2015. The bill stipulates that the charges will be QR500 for towing a vehicle of 3 tonnes or more to the assigned place, QR200 for those less than 3 tonnes, and QR20 for each day that the vehicle is impounded.
In addition, the cabinet approved the hosting of the fourth international conference on family medicine in the Middle East in Doha during the first quarter of 2017.
It also took necessary measures to ratify an agreement on waiving visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and special passports between Qatar and Kazakhstan, a memorandum of understanding on mutual co-operation and information and services exchange between Qatar News Agency (QNA) and International News Agency (Kazinform), a memorandum of understanding between the Qatar Central Bank and the National Bank of Kazakhstan, and a memorandum of understanding on sports co-operation between Qatar’s Ministry of Culture and Sport and Cuba’s National Institute of Sport, Physical Education, and Recreation.
Additionally, the cabinet approved a draft memorandum of understanding between the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law at Qatar’s Ministry of Justice and Jordan’s National Committee for the International Humanitarian Law.
The cabinet also reviewed and took the necessary measures on a memo from HE the minister of finance on the outcome of the meeting 101 for the GCC Financial and Economic Co-operation Committee, which was held in Doha in November.