allAfrica.com: Eritrea: Ministerial Cabinet Meeting Concludes Adopting Comprehensive Action Program (Page 1 of 1)

Eritrea: Ministerial Cabinet Meeting Concludes Adopting Comprehensive Action Program

The two-day meeting of the Eritrean Cabinet of Ministers in Massawa concluded, adopting a comprehensive action plan encompassing the reinforcement of the political, diplomatic, economic and social domains, as well as short and long-term work programs drawn up on a priority basis.

Stressing the paramount importance of ensuring food security in strengthening resistance and prosperity, the Ministerial Cabinet noted the encouraging outcome so far registered in the implementation of agricultural and agro-industrial projects and decided to disburse substantial expenditure to boost production in 2008 through placing extensive agricultural land under cultivation.

Taking into consideration that the main objective for investing a huge amount of resources towards ensuring food security is to improve the people's standard of living and ensure social justice, the meeting decided to promote equitable distribution of agricultural products in the market nationwide, as well as monitor control mechanisms so as to guarantee fair prices in the interest of both producers and consumers. Moreover, the Ministerial Cabinet adopted the decision that the Government should provide subsidies in the fisheries sector so that products could be sold at a fair price in all parts of the county. The meeting also reached an understanding to encourage traditional fishing activities and enhance the implementation of programs aimed at fostering partnership with plants that have ample experience in industrial fishing and marketing.

Assessing work accomplishments as regards to the raising of productivity of agro-industrial plants and related industrial establishments, the meeting conducted an in-depth discussion on putting in place effective trade control mechanisms aimed at meeting the basic demands of the public and ensuring fair prices in the market. Also, charting plans to enhance the expansion of potable water supply in urban and rural areas, it discussed ways and means of streamlining the on-going activities in land management.

As regards the tourism sector, the Cabinet of Ministers underlined the need to promote the establishment of service-rending institutions and related infrastructure facilities at tourist attraction sites, to0 identify tourism potentials and to develop human resource capacity in 2008. The meeting also adopted work programs in the expansion of infrastructure, especially the construction of new roads and houses, in addition to the renovation of existing facilities. Moreover, it adopted work programs towards promoting efficient transport and communication services in all corners of the country. The meeting further mapped out a strategy on developing alternative sources of energy and expanding rural electrification. In addition, it devised a strategy for reinforcing the satisfactory and promising accomplishments in harnessing mining resources.

Regarding the work of the mass media, the Ministerial Cabinet reviewed the activities and progress made to develop the infrastructure and technical capacity of the nation's media outlets, as well as the expansion of its coverage. It also exchanged views on measures that need to be taken as regards to the change of programs so that news and agitation programs could make an effective contribution to strengthening the "Resistance for Liberation, Development and Prosperity," in addition to directing political developments in the region and nurturing civilized culture and arts that would give impetus to development.

Concerning the health and education sectors, the meeting conducted discussions on further improving and expanding existing services, as well as developing human resource capacity and the necessary facilities in both sectors.

As regards ensuring social security and the welfare of needy nationals, especially martyrs' families, the disabled, drought victims, displaced citizens, orphans and the like, it reviewed the contribution of the measures taken so far and stressed the need to devise programs towards enabling the aforementioned citizens to become productive and self-supporting.

On the administration of justice, the meeting took note of the contributions made by community magistrates in settling cases and emphasized the need to further improve work in this domain. In this regard, it called for the upgrading of human resource capacity and the streamlining of the operation and structure of institutions engaged in the administration of justice.

Regarding the financial sector, the Ministerial Cabinet conducted discussions on the draft budget for 2008 and the steps needed to maintain macro-economic stability, strengthen activities in tax and tariff collection, promote exports, control rises in prices and inflation so as to ease living condition burdens and to adopt measures to raise production and productivity. In this respect, the meeting mapped out the required future work programs.

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