The Cabinet yesterday ratified a number of draft agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the governments of Qatar and India.
This comes just days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Qatar on June 4-5 at the invitation of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The ratifications pertain to a draft agreement on co-operation and joint assistance in Customs-related issues as well as draft MoUs on health and tourism co-operation between the two governments, the official Qatar News Agency reported.
Moreover, the Cabinet ratified a draft MoU on co-operation in the field of skill development and recognition of qualifications between the governments of Qatar and India, a draft MoU between Qatar Financial Information Unit and India’s Financial Intelligence Unit on co-operation in the field of exchanging financial intelligence on transactions suspected of having links to money laundering, funding terrorism and crimes associated with them, as well as the draft of the first executive programme of an MoU between the two governments on co-operation in the field of youth and sports for 2017-18 and 2018-19, according to the report.
In a related development, the Union Cabinet in India yesterday approved agreements with Qatar for co-operation in skill development, tourism and Customs, IANS reported.
The MoU for co-operation in skill development and recognition of qualifications will facilitate workforce mobility, skill development and placement of youth in overseas jobs in Qatar, while the MoU in the field of tourism is aimed at encouraging co-operation between the tourism sectors, tour operators, travel agents and other private sector tourism firms in the two countries, the IANS report said, citing an official statement.

Draft law on new health insurance finalised
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has finalised the draft law for the creation of a new health insurance system. Nationals will benefit from the privileges of the new system with the launch of its first stage in 2017.
The draft law includes the ideal strategy for health insurance coverage and the necessary legal framework to create a comprehensive and modern health insurance system. The ministry will submit the draft law to the Cabinet this month itself to take the necessary decision.
The Cabinet had issued a decision to form a committee under the Ministry of Finance which will be responsible for inviting a tender to appoint private insurance companies that would cover health insurance for Qataris, as soon as the new law is issued.
MOPH has taken all the necessary procedures in accordance with the Emiri decree No 10 of  2016 on the organisational structure of the Ministry of Public Health, which stipulates the creation of a new department for “health  finances and insurance”.
Besides, MOPH will launch a questionnaire next month to collect the opinion of community members about their expectations of the new health insurance system.