President argues government to conduct austerity policy

p>SANA’A, March, 12 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh argued the government to conduct austerity policy in the budget. The policy bans government members from traveling abroad for participating in regional and international meetings except in urgent cases. The president affirmed importance of evaluating the government. The president, who chaired a government’s meeting on Thursday, directed stopping buying luxuries, cars and all unnecessary things for regulating expenditures for facing economic conditions resulted by effects of the global financial crises, reducing local production of oil and dropping of its prices internationally. He stressed on necessity of speeding up carrying out Sana’a and Taiz airport projects, activating ministry of endowments and Islamic affairs to perform its duties as required. He directed holding a conference for expatriates with participation of representatives of expatriates in different countries for discussing means for providing all facilities they need and enhance their role for serving the homeland. Prime Minister Ali Mujawar presented a report in which he discussed procedures and measures as well cabinet’s decision No, 81 for 2009 for carrying out the projects funded from abroad. Increasing capacity of the government for using foreign loans and assistances is also included. All ministers have been directed to use the previous loans provided to the country in London consultative meeting for carrying out all projects included in their ministries for ensuring completing them on time. The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation has been authorized to prepare regulations and foundations for establishing executive units and choosing workers in them in all bodies and following up commitment for implementing them. He was also authorized to form technical team for the purpose of evaluating the executive units, preparing mechanisms for allocating the loans and grants provided to Yemen and directing all ministers who did not complete constructing units for carrying out the projects to speed up do this. Over needs of the country from electricity and energy, the cabinet took several decisions for carrying out electric projects and on investments in this field. On oil, gas and minerals, measures have been defined by issuing cabinet’s decree No. 61 for 2009 for authorizing the prime minister to head the supreme committee for selling and marketing oil and supervising all measures and policies in selling and marketing. Minister of oil and minerals also was authorized to prepare the national strategy for utilizing and investing oil, gas and minerals wealth via clear perspective for making use of them. Over education, the cabinet issued its order No. 29 for 2009 for forming a committee headed by minister of social and labor affairs and concerned ministers for preparing complete perspective for unifying education plans in its different sectors. MA Saba