H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received H.E. Daniela Chavez, Chargé d'Affairs of the Embassy of Brazil to the Kingdom of Bahrain, to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation between the two countries, as well as a number of issues of common interest.

H.E. the Minister indicated that the bilateral relations between Bahrain and Brazil are witnessing continuous development at various levels and fields, especially in trade and economy, noting the efforts and diplomatic endeavors made by the embassies of both countries to enhance cooperation and the joint work.​

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed the Ministry's commitment to achieving the objectives of the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026), which comes within the economic recovery plan, in an aim to increase the contribution of the industrial sector to the GDP, and to increase exports of national origin, while providing promising job opportunities for citizens. The Minister noted the approval of the Cabinet to launch the “Takamul" program, which aims to encourage national companies to enhance their contributions to the national economy.

This came during a press conference held to announce the launch (Takamul) Local Value Program in Industry, in the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in the presence of BCCI Chairman Mr. Sameer Nass, and a number of officials from various concerned authorities.​

In his speech, Minister Fakhro indicated that (Takamul) is one of the initiatives of the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026) and was launched as part of the economic recovery plan to achieve comprehensive economic development, seeking to enhance local productions and increasing the efficiency of the value-added chain, directing the expenditures of the industrial sector to the local market, and enhancing the competitiveness of national industrial establishments, in a way that contributes to the development of promising sectors and enhances integration between national industries to achieve a developed and sustainable industry.

The Minister added that the Bahraini Government launched the Industrial Strategy (2022-2026) by the end of 2021, which included 5 main axes : strengthening national industries, investing in infrastructure, improving investors' experience, directing Bahrainis' careers, enhancing laws and legislations, as well as raising the industrial sector's contribution to the GDP, increasing exports of national origin, and providing promising job opportunities for citizens.

In conclusion, His Excellency noted that the program will contribute to encouraging national companies and enhancing their contribution to the national economy, the companies' contributions will be measured and those who meet the criteria will be granted a preference in government procurement by 10%.

For his part, H.E. Mr. Sameer Nass, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Industry and Commerce, praised the initiative to launch the Local Value in Industry Program "Takamul", which constitutes an opportunity for the local industrial sector to enhance and develop its contribution to the development of the national economy. Noting that the value-added certificate poses an incentive for the industrial sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain to increase its contribution to GDP.

Mr. Nass added that this strategic initiative contributes to creating job opportunities for citizens, in addition to enhancing the opportunities of Bahraini Businesses. Moreover, he stressed that the commercial street does not hesitate to support initiatives that support the industrial sector in Bahrain, due to its major role in the development of the national economy.

Dr. Khaled Fahd Al-Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development, gave a brief presentation on (Takamul), where he reviewed the program's detailed objectives, the approved performance indicators for its evaluation and follow-up, and how to join it. 

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce received Thailand Ambassador to Bahrain Piyapak Sricharoen.

Their Excellencies reviewed bilateral relations and topics of common interest.

The minister praised the progress of relations between Bahrain and Thailand and noted the importance of enhancing cooperation between the two countries to develop the economic partnership and achieve goals.

The ambassador expressed his country's aspiration to develop bilateral cooperation, wishing Bahrain further prosperity. ​

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, inaugurated “Al Khair Handmade Products Exhibition", organized by the Savings and Loans Society for the Staff of Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development. This exhibition aims to promote homemade products to encourage local industry and achieve sustainable development. The exhibition was held with the participation of a number of employees of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and visitors of the Financial Harbor.

During the event, His Excellency the Minister stressed the importance of organizing such events to support productive families and highlight Bahraini talents, in addition to providing an opportunity for visitors to learn about the latest trends in the field of handmade productions. His Excellency added that this exhibition has a great impact on boosting the business of productive families and promoting their products.

The exhibition featured a range of various handmade products and was praised by visitors who noted the Ministry's great support for local talents by arranging such events to promote their products and encourage their business development. ​

His Excellency Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, conducted an inspection visit to Deeraland Beverages W.L.L, where he was received by the Director of Business Development in the company Mr. Abdulla Ahmadi, in the presence of the company's board members and a number of senior officials in the Ministry.

H.E. the Minister affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes all investments that boost economic growth rates in light of the facilities it provides to enhance the Kingdom's investment position, in line with the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026) which falls under the economic recovery plan, in an aim to increase the contribution of the industrial sector to the GDP, and increase exports of national origin, while providing promising job opportunities for citizens.

His Excellency toured the headquarters, which occupies around 5,200 square meters, and produces around 200,000 cartons/month. The factory exports to the gulf region and to global destinations including Australia, the UK and Singapore, and specializes in manufacturing different flavor juices.

As part of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's continuous efforts to develop the eCommerce sector and protect consumer rights, the Ministry prepared and published a survey to evaluate consumer satisfaction in the eCommerce sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain in response to the growing volume of eCommerce transactions.

 These efforts come from the Information Systems Directorate and the Consumer Protection Directorate, as the Ministry pays close attention to the eCommerce sector, by enhancing consumer trust and awareness of their rights, and helping them make sound decisions when shopping online. Moreover, The Ministry is closely monitoring eCommerce platforms and commercial activities related to eCommerce to ensure that adequate protection is provided to consumers and to mitigate the risks of fraud in this sector.

The Ministry also notes that the participation in the survey will be available for two weeks of publication through the Ministry's website: https://www.moic.gov.bh/en , as well as on its social media accounts.

The Ministry of Industry and commerce seeks to enhance communication with consumers in the eCommerce field, by receiving complaints and observations, and developing policies and laws based on their observations and needs.​

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in cooperation with Cisco, announced the launch of the visual communication service for investors through the Ministry's dedicated customer service center, for those wishing to learn more about the investment opportunities available to both local and international investors, through the latest advanced technologies for remote communication.

The service aims to enhance communication between investors and the customer service center, improve services and save time. It will also contribute to the speedy exchange of information and data.

The service will provide communication with customer service staff directly through visual communication without the need to go to service centers. This service was launched in line with the government program to facilitate government procedures and services and meet the requirements and needs of investors. Investors can book an appointment for video calling through Sijilat or the ministry's official website.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, stated: "In embodiment of the government's pioneering directions in adopting new digital technologies to serve citizens, residents and companies, the service targets all investors from inside and outside the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Ministry aims to provide a smooth and effective communication platform available to all, regardless of their location or language preferences."

For his part, Abdulelah Al-Najari, General Director of Cisco in the Gulf Region, elaborated: “We are proud to cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to digitize support services provided by the Ministry, improve their efficiency, and make them accessible to all. We have introduced the latest collaboration and remote communication platforms to support the Kingdom's vision to stimulate and facilitate investments in line with the Bahraini government's strategy to support the digital transformation of the Kingdom"

 
This project is part of Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration program (CDA), which is a strategic partnership with governments around the world to accelerate their national digital agenda and bring new value to their economy, businesses, and citizens. The program is based on strengthening private partnerships and government agencies in various sectors, including national infrastructure, education, companies, and smart societies, through digital solutions and digitization initiatives being introduced to expand the scope of the program, which is currently being implemented in 49 countries worldwide.

For further information regarding the visual communication service, contact the government services call center:  80008001, or inquire through “Tawasul" application or via e-mail to the Investor Relations Directorate IR@www.moic.gov.bh.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed the Ministry's commitment to developing initiatives that boost the economic and commercial sector in light of the comprehensive development plan under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the keen follow up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

This came as H.E. The Minister announced the launch of Sijilat 3.0, in cooperation with the Information and e-Government Authority, Bahrain Post and Cisco, during a press conference held at the BCCI building, with the participation of BCCI Chairman H.E. Mr. Samir Abdullah Nass, Information and e-Government Authority CEO Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed, iGA Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dr Zakaria Ahmed Al Khaja, and Mr. Nibras Mohammed Ali Talib, Assistant Undersecretary for Commercial Registration and Companies at MOIC, in addition to a number of invitees from the public and private sectors.

During the conference, H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, confirmed that the launch of Sijilat 3.0 aims to develop and improve the quality of services provided by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce by implementing the latest technologies that enable investors to manage their business easily and from anywhere in the world. Improvements in the new system include a collection of new e-services, which facilitate and reduce steps to access services by 60%.

The Minister indicated that the improved system uses modern programming techniques that suit the format of various devices, in addition to other new services, most notably the "automated guide" service, which is an interactive tool and a proactive step that enables investors to access everything they need to establish their business and determine the appropriate structure of the commercial registration or its activity before starting it, and providing the service of printing certificates for the CR, which allows businessmen and investors to obtain certificates and CR data through the Sijilat e-system, in addition to providing and improving 10 services for CR holders.

H.E. Fakhro elaborated that the process of developing Sijilat also included adding a “Dashboard" to display all commercial records, enabling investors to complete many transactions such as submitting a request for a new registry, deleting record, renewing and searching for active records, as well as searching for commercial activities, renewing commercial records without a license, changing the address, as well as adding a help page and a feature to inquire about transactions. A collection of utilities was developed, providing a cost and time period calculation tool, a tool for comparing activities and providing samples of documents required to facilitate the application process and guidance videos for all services provided through the system, as well as a guide to business requirements and virtual customer service.

His Excellency added that the system's technical infrastructure was developed by transferring it to cloud computing to increase speed and efficiency and ensure quality of services.

For his part, BCCI Chairman Sameer Abdullah Nass affirmed that the launch of the improved Sijilat System came to develop and improve the quality of services, and that such initiatives achieve sustainability for the entrepreneurship and investment sector, and maintain its growth and prosperity.

H.E. added that increasing the volume of commercial and investment activities in Bahrain through facilitating the establishment procedures for investors and developing them continuously supports the Chamber's objectives and commitment to provide the business environment with all means to create a well-rounded investment environment.

Mr. Nass noted Bahrain's keenness to constantly keep up with the latest developments in the field of entrepreneurship, and to keep pace with the requirements of the labor market in light of global economic developments. Pointing out that Bahrain is one of the countries that took serious steps towards future sciences and investing opportunities for innovation and creativity to achieve the objectives of Bahrain's economic vision 2030.

For his part, Mr. Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed, CEO of the Information and e-Government Authority stressed that continuing to develop Sijilat affirms the government's belief in its significant role as one of the factors that provide a supportive environment for various activities and businesses of the private sector, and contributes to attracting Bahraini, Gulf and international investors.

Al-Qaed expressed his appreciation to all the teams that worked to improve the new Sijilat system to include the new integrated and supportive electronic features and services that support the commercial sector and attract investors, stressing at the same time that the Authority, under the support of Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communications Technology, is continuing to develop Sijilat in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other concerned entities, and will continue the process of digital transformation of government services and systems.

Notably, the commercial records system "Sijilat" is an integrated electronic portal that aims to provide a commercial investment environment that attracts Bahraini, Gulf and international investors and facilitates the establishment of commercial projects and the completion of any requirements related to commercial activities.

The first version of Sijilat was launched in 2015 under the name "Commercial Records" making Bahrain the first country in the region to provide such a service. The first version of the system provided an e-link with commercial record licensees and the "Definition File" service as a written guide for the use of various Sijilat services, as well as adding the services of commercial companies, most importantly issuing a CR.

In 2016, (Sijilat 2) was launched, featuring the service of issuing a CR without a license within 93 seconds only, in addition to including the adoption of the National Classification of Economic Activities (ISIC4).

For more information or inquiries regarding Sijilat 3.0, contact the government services call center on: 80008001, or submit inquiries, observations and suggestions through (Tawasul), or through the e-mail of the Investor Relations Directorate IR@moic .gov.bh.​