The State Cabinet’s regular weekly meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, yesterday ratified a draft law on the practice of brokerage and approved draft decisions by the Minister of Economy and Commerce on the amendment of some provisions of Decision No 47 of 2005 on specifying fees for the services provided by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce.
It also approved the minister's draft decisions regarding brokerage records and their regulation as well as brokerage ID regulation.
The draft law defines brokerage profession as professionally liaising towards sales, leases or providing services in return for commissions. The bill included provisions related to the conditions of practicing brokerage as well as granting a license and its duration, and waiving, suspending and revoking it. It also touches on the location practicing brokerage and the rights and obligations of a broker.
The session also approved a draft cabinet decision amending provisions of Decision No. 73 of 2014 on the establishment of a monitoring committee of fuel stations and warehouses.
The draft decision included the amendment of the committee's name to be the permanent committee on monitoring fuel stations and warehouses.
Established at the Ministry of Energy and Industry, the committee is chaired by a representative of Qatar Petroleum and has members from the entities concerned.
The committee shall be tasked with specifying standardized specifications and standards for all fuel stations and warehouses across the state; deciding on the type of activities allowed inside a station; reviewing stations and their compatibility with regulations and standards for health, safety and environment; determining damages caused by pollution and environmental effects; and determining the necessary requirements to upgrade and develop the existing stations.
The session approved a draft cabinet decision to extend leases of premises and parts thereof that are leased for non-residential purposes.
Under the provisions of this decision, leases of premises and parts thereof that are leased for non-residential purposes, governed by the provisions of Law No. 4 of 2008 on property leasing and are in force on February 14, 2017, shall be extended for one year from Feb. 15, 2017 unless the lease provides for a longer period or the lessee does not intend to renew the lease, provided that the lessee is occupying the leased premises.
This legal extension shall exclude the administrative headquarters of commercial companies and other corporate persons engaged in trade, offices of lawyers, accountants and engineers; veterinarian clinics, and agriculture, livestock and fisheries experts offices.
The weekly meeting also approved a plan prepared by Qatar Tourism Authority in relation to its participation in several international tourism fairs in 2017.
It also adopted a draft joint cooperation in the field of medical science and health care between the governments of Qatar and the Poland, and a draft memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of culture between the Qatari Ministry of Culture and Sports and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines.
The cabinet also endorsed Qatar's membership in the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Additionally, the meeting also took appropriate procedures for ratification of an agreement for cooperation in the cultural field between the governments of Qatar and Serbia, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the youth and sport fields between the governments of Qatar and Serbia, and a memorandum of cooperation in the field of agriculture between the Qatari Ministry of Municipality and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Serbia.
The cabinet took note of the report related to the outcomes of the work of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee during the period spanning June 14, 2016 to Nov. 20, 2016, and approved Qatar's national program for civil aviation security, annexed to the report.
