Doha: Minister of Commerce and Industry H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari on Tuesday met with the representatives of the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) and Qatar Chamber (QC) to review the latest developments and discuss the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on private companies and institutions in Qatar, while seeking appropriate solutions to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus.
The meeting was attended by QBA Chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, QC Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, QBA Vice-Chairman Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan, QBA Second Deputy Chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, QBA Board Member Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, and QC Board Member Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Obaidly.
During the meeting, Minister Al Kuwari highlighted the stimulus measures undertaken by the state to support the national economy and the private sector under the guidance of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and elaborated on the implementation mechanism for these decisions.
He also reiterated the key decisions and measures implemented by the Ministry to enable the private sector to play its role in supporting the economy under the current circumstances, and to mitigate the negative repercussions of the pandemic on various industries across the country.
The Minister noted that financial facilities have been provided and procedures had been streamlined for the completion of transactions across ports, while plans have been drafted and solutions proposed to reopen the closed sections of the Industrial Area. He added that the Ministry intends to implement additional plans during the coming period to support the private sector.
Minister Al Kuwari also took note of the challenges faced by the private sector under the current circumstances, and agreed to find appropriate solutions to address these challenges. Meanwhile, the businessmen in attendance explained that an emergency committee has been formed at the Qatar Chamber to follow up on the latest developments, and to monitor challenges across economic sectors including the health, tourism, trade, industry, real estate and construction sectors. They also expressed their support for the government’s decisions, and stressed their readiness to fully mobilise their resources to contribute to mitigating the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the national economy.
The participants during the meeting also stressed the need to bolster cooperation between the private and public sectors, and agreed to hold regular meetings to follow up on the latest developments and to address any future challenges they may face as a result of the crisis.
