The new growth and fiscal balance plan announced earlier this month by Bahrain’s government represents a major step towards economic recovery in the Kingdom. The plan includes reforms in several sectors with the aim of reviving the economy, in line with the Bahrain economic vision 2030. Here are a range of views from Bahraini citizens concerning the plan:
“Citizens want better opportunities”
“Bahrain is certainly affected by the pandemic. The economy has been facing increased challenges; hence it is great to see that the government has prioritized the economy by setting up this plan” Khalid 32.
“The plan is said to provide more than 20,000 jobs for Bahrainis. Unemployment is one of the main issues facing Bahrainis. Therefore, any measures to solve this problem, even partially, is welcomed” Manal 40.
“This is a step in the right direction. The economy is a priority, citizens want better opportunities and different ways through which the country can move forward and overcome its economic challenges” Ahmed 36.
“When we can actually see the improvement”
“The economic plan sets out different sectors that will be revived, such as the labour market and the tourism sector. It is great to see a diversified plan that brings in different fields. It seems like a well-studied plan and we hope that it will have fruitful outcomes” Abdullah 28.
“This is a step to revive the Bahrain economic vision 2030. For long people stopped talking about the economic vision and many of us felt that it was a failure. It is truly refreshing to see the government take such a measure” Fatima 30.
“We are always hearing about new plans and ideas. It will make a difference for Bahrainis when we can actually see the improvement in our living standards” Sarah 34.
“In the long run”
“Any strategy or plan can be a long process. People should understand that the work will be done in phases and eventually in the long run we will witness the positive outcomes of this step” Yousif 27.
“It includes a reduction on expenditure, and this is most certainly a wise strategy. The government has for long been accused of being chaotic with its expenditure especially when the country faces economic challenges” Aisha 33.
“Balancing Bahrain’s budget is of utmost importance. It has been announced that the new economic plan aims at balancing the budget by the year 2024. This is one of the most positive steps taken by the government in the past few years” Faisal 35.
“We hope that unlike the past, the government actually works hard on putting this plan to action. This should not just be a PR stunt and real work should be done” Amal 30.
“We need to see change”
“I hope that the concerned authorities work productively on this plan. The issue we usually face with all plans and strategies is that the government entities tend to be slow and lack a high level of productivity which makes us lack behind as a country” Zainab 34.
“We have seen many strategies put to place; however, it is always too difficult to see tangible results. The problem with the government is that it likes to announce strategies. However, it tends to lack the seriousness to reach its targets” Ali 29.
“I believe that this plan will be productive and useful for all Bahrainis. The changes made to the government and the young people put in government position will now have the opportunity to put their young energy and expertise into action, I truly wish them the best of luck” Salman 38.
“We need to see change in the country, and this is a major step towards change. People want to feel that the economy is revived. We want to sense the presence of opportunities and an open market that helps us in becoming less dependent on government jobs” Mariam 32.