Doha, February 16 (QNA) - Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) has met with officials from the Ministry of Municipality and the Public Works Authority (Asghal) as part of its efforts to engage with public sector entities and other economic authorities.
The meeting weighed in on the challenges facing the public sector, with the officials debating a raft of key subjects pertaining to domestic producers, including incentives and pricing mechanisms, as well as developing strategic food commodity stockpiles to ensure their storage according to appropriate periods for each product in a way that meets strategic needs.
Officials from the Ministry of Municipality highlighted the ministry's programs throughout the upcoming period and its future projects as part of Qatar National Vision 2030, including setting project programs based on the comprehensive urban plan.
This comes as the nation works within a national framework through a clear system of infrastructure for all sectors to be connected with a digital platform in all projects related to infrastructure, food security, and real estate, in addition to maximizing their value and following up on the execution of projects related to government buildings, roads, and sanitation, as well as preparing lands and farms owned by citizens.
Having weighed in, a number of businessmen affirmed that the private sector is highly interested in a variety of fields related to investment incentives and the subject of funding and legislative measures, as well as lands allocated to farmers and the engagement of the private sector in implementing infrastructure and roads projects, in addition to prepping the lands of citizens and food security ventures.
After responding to the inquiries of those businessmen, the ministry's officials emphasized that the ministry is executing a package of projects as part of its continuous efforts to achieve comprehensive development and provide top-notch service in all the various sectors it oversees.
The ministry has achieved milestones in multiple fields in terms of urban planning and agricultural affairs, as well as food security, in addition to public services related to sanitation, waste recycling and treatment, renewable energy, and public parks development and urban beautification with the Expanded Green Spaces Project, the ministry's officials underlined.
As for infrastructure, the ministry noted that there are almost 238 projects planned during the upcoming five-year plan worth QAR 50 billion, emphasizing that the total value of upcoming infrastructure projects beyond 2030 is estimated at QAR 118 billion.
The Infrastructure Management Program prioritizes citizens’ lands, water and wastewater systems, and treatment networks to achieve the goals of the national vision, aiming to cover 82 percent of the nation's sewer networks by the end of 2030, the ministry outlined, suggesting that the program currently includes five projects valued at QAR 13 billion that are planned for implementation through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
In the agriculture and food security sector, the ministry's officials pointed out that the ministry works to execute a number of initiatives and projects within integrated plans to develop domestic production and enhance the food security system in the nation, with all these efforts falling under the framework of the National Food Security Strategy for 2030, which includes a suite of targeted initiatives aimed at improving production efficiency, strengthening supply chains, and promoting sustainability.
They recalled that the aforementioned strategy underscores the importance of engaging the private sector as a strategic partner in implementation, operation, and investment, thereby contributing to diversifying production resources and stimulating innovation, in addition to boosting the sector's competitive capability to help achieve the national targets of food security.
Overall, the ministry indicated that it works to establish a food security digital platform in tandem with all relevant entities to have updated data and indicators in place in terms of the food security system, which would ultimately help decision-makers and investors take meticulously informed investment decisions. (QNA)