Doha, April 04 (QNA) - HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater affirmed that the State of Qatar has managed to overcome all the challenges that faced global economies during the past years, and laid the foundations of a new phase that adopts an approach that contributes to achieving economic diversification, pointing out that this has consolidated its position as one of the most powerful and promising regional economies at the global level.

In a comprehensive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), His Excellency said that the State of Qatar, thanks to the economic policies that it has adopted over the past years, has presented an advanced economic model that has cemented its position as a major economic hub in the region, as it has managed to overcome various regional and global challenges, and laid the foundations of a new economic stage through which it directed to rely on its own capabilities, support national products, and enhance its openness to its various trading partners around the world.

HE said that despite the economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected all countries of the world without exception and led to a decline in the growth of major global economies, the State of Qatars economy is one of the region's strongest economies and among the most promising economies at the global level, thanks to HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who charted a course to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the national economy and shift towards a new knowledge-based economy.

HE explained that within the framework of this approach, the State moved towards adopting an approach that contributes to achieving a balance between the oil-based economy and the real economy that depends on the non-oil sectors, noting that this approach has resulted in directing the important resources of the oil and gas sector towards supporting programs aimed at achieving economic diversification.

His Excellency referred to the role played by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in supporting national efforts aimed at promoting and expanding Qatari industries, in a way that contributes to achieving self-sufficiency of the State on the one hand, and supporting economic growth of the non-oil sectors, in line with the countrys economic diversification plans to achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision. 2030, on the other hand.

HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry underlined that the Ministry had taken on encouraging national industrial institutions to increase their productivity, in line with the determinants of the Second National Development Strategy 2018-2022 and the Qatar National Manufacturing Strategy, so it had launched the joint framework contracts initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and Hamad Medical Corporation. In this regard, the initiative primarily covered the pharmaceutical and medical equipment sector, and its scope will be expanded to include other sectors, in coordination with the concerned authorities, HE added.

HE noted that work has been done to raise the level of access to national goods and products to the largest number of sales outlets in the country. This is being achieved by directing allocating about 50% of the exhibits to Qatari products, in addition to meeting and coordinating with more than 30 governmental and semi-governmental agencies to motivate them to give priority to national products, and increase their purchases in this field, HE added.

In this regard, HE referred to the announcement of the launch of the 1000 Opportunities Initiative, which comprised of an electronic platform within the Single Window Platform. It allows local investors to view the existing and future opportunities and projects that would meet their various needs in terms of products or services provided by local private sector companies, HE explained, pointing out that this initiative is expected to contribute to provide significant investment and economic opportunities that would benefit the industrial sector, which has seen remarkable development during the past years.

In a related context, HE referred to the initiative to offer investment opportunities in the country, in partnership between the public and private sectors, with the aim of consolidating economic diversification and supporting non-oil sectors, especially the tourism industry which plays an important role in strengthening Qatars leading position as one of the most prominent tourist destinations regionally and globally.

Regarding facing the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected global economies, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the ministry sought to support national efforts aimed at preserving the health and safety of citizens and residents, protect the economic structure of the State, support the affected sectors, reduce the risks of the pandemic, contain its repercussions on the business climate, and ensure market stability and availability of food and basic commodities, in line with the competencies entrusted to it, in addition to strengthening coordination with the concerned authorities to face the repercussions, and discuss mechanisms for implementing support packages and exemptions that have been decided for the affected sectors, as well as follow up the performance of national industries and other measures.

The State of Qatar has sought to accelerate the pace of launching initiatives, programs and laws that support the national economy and stimulate production and investment, HE said, noting in this regard the Ministry of Commerce and Industrys launch of several initiatives aimed at encouraging the private sector to actively contribute to the national economy by supporting the national product.

The Ministry, in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), is organizing the National Product Week, which aims to celebrate the success of Qatari companies and their products in various sectors, enhance efforts to localize supply chains, and support self-sufficiency and economic diversification efforts in the State of Qatar, HE further said. The ministry is also organizing a campaign to support Qatari products through various means of communication and in sales outlets as well, HE added.

His Excellency also touched on all the initiatives and circulars issued by the Ministry in terms of regulating the practice of commercial activities in the country and ensuring compliance with the conditions, controls and precautionary measures that have been approved in this regard.

On the most prominent projects implemented by the Ministry within the framework of the National Development Strategy 2018-2022, HE explained that this strategy identified programs and projects that would directly contribute to accelerating the pace of economic diversification in the country by encouraging the competitiveness of Qatari exports based on infrastructure and developed logistics services, activating regional and international networks with the aim of establishing more competitive and extended supply chains, signing international and regional trade agreements that support Qatars position in the main markets, motivating local investors and directing them to take advantage of the promising opportunities offered by a number of selected vital sectors.

He also said that this strategy has set a legislative and regulatory framework that stimulates foreign investment, strengthens partnership between the public and private sectors, and develops patents and converts them into competitive commercial goods. It also affirmed the importance of continuing to implement programs aimed at encouraging the private sector and providing an ideal business environment, besides a number of other important programs and projects, he added.

About the projects that will have priority in the Third National Development Strategy 2023-2027, HE pointed out that the ministry is working in this framework to coordinate with the various concerned authorities in the country to prepare its sectoral strategy based on the development goals that have been achieved, which is the result of an effective partnership between the public and private sectors and all concerned parties, in order to support the countrys march towards achieving its National Vision 2030.

HE stressed that the development strategies adopted by the State contributed to the formulation of economic policies aimed at achieving economic diversification, activating the contribution of the private sector at the economic level, and enhancing food security by achieving self-sufficiency in some agricultural and industrial food commodities, as well as developing the business environment, increasing the average level of productivity for some sectors, and expanding the use of technology and innovation in several areas, including small and medium industries and other productive activities. (MORE)

In response to a question by QNA regarding the State's legislative, institutional and regulatory efforts to create an attractive investment environment, His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the State was keen to issue a package of laws to stimulate foreign investments by relying on advanced legislations such as the law regulating on-Qatari capital investment in economic activity, the law regulating public-private partnerships (PPPs), and the law regulating non-Qatari ownership and use of properties.

He added that the State allowed foreign capital to invest in many productive sectors, and allowed foreign investors to own up to 100% of the capital of companies, provided tax and customs exemptions, facilitated and simplified investment procedures through the single window, allowed foreign investors to own property in accordance with the regulations following the issuance of the Cabinet's decision which specifies the areas in which non-Qataris may own and use real estate, and the conditions, controls, advantages and procedures for ownership and use, in line with the law regulating non-Qatari ownership and use of real estate. The areas that have been allocated for ownership and use are typical according to the latest international planning and urban specifications, HE added.

HE also referred to a number of laws issued with the aim of enhancing the flow of capital and international competitiveness in establishing companies, removing obstacles, facilitating procedures for investors to attract investment projects and improve the country's ranking within international investment-related reports, applying governance standards, especially transparency and disclosure, and promoting incentives for ownership or use, or that related to the residence permit for a non-Qatari investor, which can be obtained for a period of 5 years without a sponsor.

In this regard, he explained that the law regulating the entry and exit of expatriates and their residence allows the competent authority at the Ministry of Interior to issue entry visas and grant residence permits without an employer to investors subject to the provisions of the law regulating investment of non-Qatari capital in economic activity, for a renewable period of 5 years. The same is true for property owners and beneficiaries in accordance with the provisions of the law regulating non-Qatari ownership and use of real estate, so that they can obtain residency for a period of five years, automatically renewed for the duration of their ownership or use of real estate, he noted.

His Excellency said that these legislative and regulatory efforts have reinforced expectations for the growth of the Qatari economy, noting in this context to the International Monetary Fund's expectations that the Qatari economy will witness a remarkable growth of about 3.2% in 2022, compared to about 2% in 2021, which reflects the growth of all economic sectors in the country, especially the investment sector.

HE also referred to a report issued by the US-Qatar Business Council in 2021, which said that foreign direct investment in the State of Qatar has taken an upward trend thanks to the business environment, advanced infrastructure, and the balanced performance of the financial sector, which directly affected the country's GDP, that is expected to rise to 3.9% in 2022.

He further said that expectations indicate that the country's GDP will rise from $161 billion in 2021 to $201 billion in 2025, and it is expected to reach $172 billion in 2022, $181 billion in 2023 and $191 billion in 2024.

Speaking about the contribution of the "Single Window" initiative to accelerate business and attract local and foreign investments, HE Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater stressed that this initiative came within the framework of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry's keenness to complete its path towards digital transformation, translating wise leadership guidance to improve the business environment in Qatar by optimizing the use of digital technology to enhance the operational performance of the services provided and support the national economy.

In this context, HE added that the ministry has moved towards contributing to achieving the State's objectives of comprehensive digital transformation, the abolition of paper transactions and the digitization of all government procedures.

He said that the ministry has initiated and strengthened joint cooperation and coordination with relevant government agencies, with the aim of facilitating and shortening the procedures for granting approvals and licenses necessary to establish businesses and to provide access to these services through the smart electronic platform of the Single Window Initiative so that the integration of the various procedures are achieved in a way that prevents their recurrence; using a single procedure to accomplish multiple services, thereby reducing the stages of establishing companies and industrial establishments in the country.

His Excellency explained that the Single Window initiative was directed towards assisting investors during the various stages of establishing companies, starting from the planning stages, passing through the registration procedures, to issuing the necessary licenses through an electronic interface that connects the investor to about 18 government agencies in one platform, at any time and from anywhere around the world.

He said that the past years witnessed a remarkable development in the completion of the various stages of the single window project, to succeed in making many achievements during the third and fourth quarters of 2021.

In this context, he stated that during the Single Window initiative, more than 38,000 digital contracts were signed by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) for investors, more than 33,457 payment transactions were completed through the single window electronic payment gateway, and more than 3,937 registration numbers were issued through the Single Window initiative.

His Excellency mentioned that the SAK e-Services Portal has about 77 knowledgeable entities, and about 8,516 complete digital approvals were issued, and the Single Window Initiative witnessed the submission of more than 131,428 transactions, in addition to the completion of about 80 digital link points with various supporting agencies and bodies.

HE Al Khater affirmed that work continues to digitize all ministry transactions and link all those related to trade and industry to the Single Window Initiative, thus contributing to consolidate Qatar's position as a regional and international hub for trade and investment.

He also referred to the launch of the Qatar "Business Map" portal within the ministry's website, indicating that this step comes within the framework of the ministry's commitment to establish the principle of transparency and enhance the efficiency of its services, and in line with the requirements of the Unified Economic Register law, which aims to strengthen the transparency of economic and financial transactions by collecting basic information, data, and documents on economic enterprises, legal arrangements, non-profit organizations and self-employment and making them available to the public and stakeholders, in line with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

He explained that the Business Map portal provides a wide database for users, allowing them to view the investment advantages of the various areas of the country, and providing a database for entrepreneurs and investors to facilitate their access to target customers, as well as extensive services that enhance the success of commercial activities.

His Excellency added that in conjunction with this initiative, the ministry launched a service to verify commercial records data for the concerned authorities, as part of its keenness to develop services provided to the business sector, in a way that contributes to facilitating audits and periodic inspections of commercial companies and ensuring the validity of their data.

Regarding the factors that contributed to the development of local and foreign investments in the State of Qatar, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry told QNA that the State of Qatar has made continuous efforts to encourage local investment and attract foreign direct investment, which in recent years, has witnessed a remarkable development in light of high credit ratings confirmed by various international rating agencies on the performance of the Qatari economy.

HE explained that these indicators contribute to enhancing the confidence of investors in the national economy, leading toward investing in a number of important sectors, including tourism, financial markets, real estate, industry, sports projects, and retail. These sectors have witnessed significant growth in conjunction with the State of Qatar's progress towards achieving its National Vision 2030 development goals and hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, HE confirmed.

On the other hand, HE said that the incentives and facilities offered to investors, the laws and legislation approved by the State, such as the law regulating the investment of non-Qatari capital in economic activity, and the ease of doing business, contributed to encouraging investors to establish their projects in the State of Qatar.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry succeeded in maintaining the pace of investment and ownership requests with 100 percent of the non-Qatari capital, thanks to the wise directives to facilitate business and investment procedures and remove obstacles that would face the private sector during the pandemic, HE stressed.

With regard to the industrial sector in the country, His Excellency pointed out that the country has witnessed, during the past years, a remarkable expansion in the establishment of companies and factories in a number of vital sectors, and the national product has been able to compete and replace many foreign products.

The noticeable demand for investment in non-traditional sectors, especially industrial ones, is the best evidence of the success of the State's plans to support and enhance the contribution of national companies in diversifying the national economy, His Excellency said. The number of factories operating and registered in the country to date has reached more than 800 factories, while the total number of licenses issued to establish industrial projects to date reached 635, in addition to the registration of about 60 factories in the industrial registry between January and September 2021, HE stated.

HE revealed that the total investments of factories during the year 2021 amounted to about QR 2.1 billion, contributing to the creation of 2,581 new jobs in industrial facilities.

HE also mentioned that the number of projects that started production and were registered in the industrial registry during 2021 exceeded 60 projects. Currently, the number of industrial projects that are being established in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) zone reached about 362 projects, he added.

In the same context, HE explained that so far, the total number of industrial lands allocated to the SMEs zone has reached about 826 industrial lands. HE stressed that 90 percent of the infrastructure for the northern expansion of the SMEs zone has been completed.

HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry added that the industrial facilities established in 2021 contributed to the launch of new products, bringing the total number of products manufactured in the State of Qatar to 845 products. The Ministry is continuing to develop and update legislation for industry, and to develop and facilitate appropriate procedures for industrial investment, HE said.

His Excellency noted that the ministry attaches great importance to supporting the local product through establishing a department concerned with supporting the competitiveness of the national product. The department is responsible for combating practices harmful to national products and proposing the necessary measures and procedures to support their competitiveness, in accordance with Law No. 2 of 2019 on supporting the competitiveness of national products and combating harmful practices to them in international trade, HE underlined.

HE explained that the ministry has launched a guide service for manufacturers and producers in the State of Qatar via the ministry's website, as a step to provide a comprehensive database for local factories to support the Qatari product, enhance awareness among consumers of its importance and motivate them to give priority to purchase, in addition to support entrepreneurs and investors and provide the opportunity to easily reach consumers, and open markets for investors to introduce new products and expand their production areas.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will continue its efforts to implement the Qatar National Manufacturing Strategy 2018-2022, which aims to accelerate the growth of this sector, due to its important role in achieving economic diversification of the State of Qatar, HE said.

HE referred to the most important initiatives that were launched in this field, such as an electronic portal for investors in the manufacturing sector, a program to attract major investors at the international level, simplify the investor's journey in the industrial sector, increase the number and expand the scope of international trade agreements, and prepare a master plan to support talent, pioneers, and business professionals in the manufacturing sector for 10 years.

HE revealed that these efforts contributed to expanding the contribution of manufacturing industries to the national economy, with a value of about QR14 billion, during the second quarter of 2021. This made it occupy fourth place as the highest contributing activities to the country's GDP, he added

In his interview with QNA, His Excellency Al Khater expected that the industrial sector would witness an important development following the implementation of the strategic initiatives of the manufacturing industries, according to what was monitored during the first half of this year, where the contribution of the manufacturing industries increased by 1.49 percent and reached about 8.79 percent during the first six months of 2021, compared to 7.3 percent during the same period in 2020. He indicated that the investments of the operating manufacturing factories exceeded QR 235 billion and that 69 percent of the total investments were directed towards the petrochemical, iron, and aluminum industries.

Regarding the movement towards smart industries, HE Al Khater told QNA that the Second National Development Strategy 2018-2022 aimed at achieving a more competitive, productive and diversified economy, developing the private sector to be more dynamic and contributing to the national economy.

In this regard, HE noted that the Ministry works with other national entities, with the support of Qatar Foundation and other leading institutions in the country, in a number of programs and projects related to building a knowledge-based economy by developing a strategy for scientific activities and innovation and incentives and financing mechanisms to build economic competitive advantages and raise productivity, preparing an operating model that supports innovation, establishing platforms and databases for scientific research and innovation and strengthening cooperation with relevant international organizations.

One of the steps and initiatives mentioned by HE in this context is the Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) program, which was carried out in coordination with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), government agencies and a number of private sector institutions to provide a link between inventors and patents, as many graduates of scientific disciplines are scientifically qualified for innovation and invention, but they lack knowledge of patent application procedures. It should be noted that databases related to inventions are available free of charge.

HE also referred to the issuance of Law No. 10 of 2020 regarding the protection of industrial designs, which would add protection to the formal aspects of industrial innovations. The law will enter into force following the issuance of the necessary executive decisions for this regard.

HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry affirmed the country's endeavor to join a number of international agreements that represent the highest international standards in the field of intellectual property protection and innovation, such as the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks, the Patent Law Treaty (PLT) and the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs.

HE also underlined the launch of a program to attract major investors at the international level within the initiatives of the National Manufacturing Strategy 2018-2022, as cooperation with the Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) was conducted to prepare 25 industrial projects distributed over the seven strategic sectors that were identified within the strategy.

Marketing of these projects was done through IPA using various channels, including participating in displaying them in international conferences, as well as displaying them on the website of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), in addition to direct communication with the embassies of the countries that own the factories specified within the project to attract them to invest in the State of Qatar, HE said.

Global manufacturers have shown their desire to start their business in the State of Qatar and communication is being conducted with them by the agency, HE said, adding that the list of targeted global factories has been determined according to several criteria, including the transfer of knowledge to the State of Qatar, Al Khater pointed.

There are plans to encourage and motivate investors in priority activities in order to facilitate investment procedures in these activities, HE said, pointing out that foreign companies are obligated to rely on the local market for 30% of the total value of contracts in order to develop the local private sector and transfer knowledge to local companies.

In response to a question about the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, HE Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater affirmed to QNA that the State of Qatar is one of the most prominent leading countries in the region in developing the legislative and institutional environment that supports and incubates small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship.

In this regard, Under the directives of HH the Amir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and with close follow-up and supervision by HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, the National Response Guarantees Program was launched at the beginning of the pandemic, as part of the private sector support package, which included QR 75 billion, with the aim of protecting the small, medium and emerging enterprises and entrepreneurship sector from the global economic repercussions left by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

He added that the implementation of the National Response Guarantees Program was started by allocating QR 3 billion in a first stage, then its value was raised to about QR 5 billion to help national companies maintain their business continuity and resilience during the last period.

As part of its efforts, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was keen to develop the business environment and facilitate doing business in the country, to create a stimulating investment environment for owners of small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs, to consolidate cooperation and joint coordination with various relevant government agencies in order to facilitate and shorten the procedures for granting approvals and licenses necessary for establishing businesses and providing access to these services through the Single Window Platform, he continued.

He further added, that the ministry launched a number of important initiatives, including the "Land and Industrial Loan" initiative in cooperation with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), which allows investors to apply, through the Single Window Platform at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to obtain industrial licenses and industrial lands in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Zone and complete financing procedures through the same application for industrial land directly.

HE Undersecretary of Ministry of Commerce and Industry explained that under this initiative, the Ministry is working to provide all the needs of the promising industrial project for the industrial sector, and the role of QDB is to provide industrial financing, adding that the initiative aims to support and encourage Qatari investors, entrepreneurs and SMEs to invest in the industrial sector by providing a single platform to complete their various transactions in Single Window Platform.

Within the framework of regulating the business environment, encouraging investment, and providing facilities to investors, the ministry announced the possibility of renewing both the commercial register and the commercial license for a period of one year or other similar periods, with a maximum of five years (optional), through Single Window Platform and the ministrys website, provided that the commercial licenses validity period is identical to the commercial registration period and is not different from it, he indicated.

In this context, HE Undersecretary pointed out that Qatar's trade balance recorded during the last quarter of 2021 a surplus of QR 71.4 billion, compared to QR 24.7 billion recorded for the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 189%.

He also stated that the total value of Qatari exports during the mentioned period amounted to QR 100 billion, an increase of QR 50.9 billion, or 103.8%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, which recorded total exports amounting to QR 49.1 billion, an increase of QR 17.4 billion, or 21.1% compared to the third quarter of 2021.

The value of Qatari imports during the fourth quarter of 2021 amounted to QR 28.6 billion, an increase of QR 4.2 billion, or 17.4%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, which amounted to QR 24.4 billion, an increase of QR 3.8 billion, or 15.5%, compared to the third quarter of 2021, he said.

His Excellency also referred to other indicators that reflected the extent of the continuous recovery of the manufacturing services and construction sectors during 2021, including the data of the Purchasing Managers' Index of the Qatar Financial Centre, which showed a record improvement in the commercial activity of non-energy private sector companies in October 2021, to record an increase for the fifth consecutive month by 62.2 points, from 60.6 points in September of the same year, noting that it is an indicator based on five main pillars such as new orders, production, employment, supplier delivery dates, and inventory of purchases.

He stressed that the record rise in the overall commercial activity growth rate indicates strong growth rates in all four main sectors, namely services, retail and wholesale, manufacturing and construction.

On the food security strategy, HE Al Khater said that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry plays a major role in achieving the objectives of this strategy, in cooperation and coordination with the concerned authorities, noting that the efforts it has made over the past years in order to raise the country's strategic stock of food and strategic commodities through the establishment of an electronic system for managing and controlling the strategic stock, develop plans and programs to secure foodstuffs for citizens and residents, confront various challenges that impede the flow of food and consumer goods to local markets and develop mechanisms to speed up the response to any emergency conditions.

In this context, he added that contracts were signed with 14 major companies specialized in the food sector in the country, with the aim of raising the countrys strategic stock of food commodities, the most important of which are wheat, rice, edible oils, sugar, frozen red meat, long-term milk and powdered milk, which contributed to overcoming all the challenges that emerged during the pandemic period that affected supply chains.

His Excellency explained that this initiative comes in line with the country's food security strategy and the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to strengthen the partnership between the public and private sectors and strengthening the strategic inventory system for food, and consumer and catering goods, thus consolidating the leading position of the State of Qatar as one of the most prominent countries in the region with sufficient strategic stock of commodities and the ability to achieve food security and meet all the needs of citizens and residents.

In this context, he also pointed out to the issuance of Decree Law No. 24 of 2019 Regulating and Managing the Strategic stock of Food and Consumer Goods, which represents an integrated legislative framework that enhances the work of the system.

His Excellency revealed that the first phase of designing the electronic system has been completed, which helped monitor and control stocks, determining the percentage of local and imported production, determining the sources of import, the most important dealers in strategic commodities, and identifying the movement of products from the date of their arrival at customs and their passage through wholesalers and retailers until they reach the final consumer.

He continued saying that in a second stage, the ministry is working to develop the ability of this electronic system to predict the future trends of import markets, product prices and monitoring the import pathways from the country of origin until the product reaches the State of Qatar.

His Excellency affirmed that this electronic system for managing and controlling the strategic stock of the country contributes to activating the partnership between the public and private sectors, and managing and controlling the strategic stock via a smart electronic platform that has been designed in accordance with the best practices and international standards adopted in this field.

HE added that this system represents an important tool for officials, decision makers, institutions, departments working in this field, private sector companies, primary suppliers and national producers, pointing out to the precise monitoring mechanism provided by the system for the strategic food commodities owned by the State and selected vital consumer products, in addition to the feed, and any other materials that are added to the system.

He indicated that the system also allows access to the details related to these commodities, including its types and quantities, the methods and quality of its storage, the spaces available in the stores and its locations, suppliers and distribution points, in addition to monitoring and managing all elements of the supply chain from import, storage, recycling, distribution and national production.

On the relationship between the public and private sectors, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry affirmed that the State views the private sector as a strategic and important partner in achieving its goals and development plans, considering that Law No. 12 of 2020 regulating the partnership between the public and private sectors as an important step in the path of building the appropriate legislative framework for regulating the business environment in the country and enhancing the contribution of the private sector to the implementation of major development projects.

HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry confirmed to QNA that the experience of partnership between the two sectors is one of the first initiatives adopted by the State of Qatar before the issuance of this law, especially in the field of implementing logistics, food security, health and education projects.

His Excellency added that the law constitutes an additional building block in the edifice of the complementary relationship between the public and private sectors, as it provides a regulatory framework for the formulas of the contractual relationship between the two parties represented in the allocation of lands through lease or license for development by the private sector and the adoption of several systems, including the system of building, operating and transferring ownership, the system of building, transfer of ownership and operating, the system of building, owning, operating and transferring ownership, and the system of operation and maintenance.

In recognition of the role of partnership projects in raising the efficiency and sustainability of infrastructure and government services, rationalizing public budget expenditures, and achieving optimal investment of resources, the ministry sought to assess the extent of the private sector's participation in major projects and its competitive capabilities, HE said, in addition to implementing the provisions of the law regulating partnership between the two sectors in all relevant projects - especially hospitals, schools, tourist resorts, etc. - and in this regard, several partnership projects for the private sector were announced within a short period since the law was issued.

HE Undersecretary announced the start of implementing partnership initiatives and forming working committees for some projects linking the public and private sectors, such as the government schools project (first package - eight schools), a sewage treatment project in Al Wakra and Al Wukair, and other projects under study in different service sectors that will be announced in due course.

On the initiatives and projects that the ministry will undertake related to Qatars hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, HE explained that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as part of its efforts to implement and adopt best practices in preparation for hosting the World Cup, sought to launch a number of initiatives in line with Law No. 10 of 2021 regarding measures for hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and Law No. 11 of 2021 regarding the protection of trademarks, copyright and related rights of FIFA, which aims to facilitate and simplify the procedures and periods of registration of trademarks and the deposit of copyright and related rights in FIFA.

His Excellency explained that the ministry is keen to contribute to the hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with the aim of enhancing the success of this exceptional and historical event at the global level, which provides the ministry with an important opportunity to consolidate the leading position of the State of Qatar regionally and globally.

In this context, he explained that the ministry, in cooperation with FIFA, organized a training workshop on the necessary measures to protect consumers and combat commercial fraud within the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

He also referred to the ongoing promotional campaigns over specific periods to market Qatari products and enhance their competitiveness, provided that these campaigns will be intensified during the current year, before the start of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and during its stay. (QNA)