The Shura Council State of Qatar

The Shura Council held Monday its regular weekly meeting via video conference under the chairmanship of HE Speaker Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, at the Council's headquarters.

At the outset of the meeting, HE the Speaker of the Shura Council extended, on behalf of himself and members of the Shura Council, sincere congratulations to HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan, asking Allah the Almighty to return it to HH the Amir with continued good health and happiness, and to the loyal people of Qatar and its residents with further prosperity and more achievements under the wise leadership of HH the Amir, hoping for the end of the pandemic in Qatar, the Arab and Islamic nations, and the whole world.

HE the Speaker briefed the Council on his meeting last Wednesday with HE Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of Sudan Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and explained that the meeting focused on the well-established bilateral relations between the two countries. He added that HE Chairman valued the position and role of the State of Qatar in supporting the Sudanese people, especially its great and fruitful efforts for peace, development and reconstruction in Darfur, and that the meeting reflected the common desire to develop the Qatari-Sudanese relations.

The Council continued its session, where it discussed a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 5 of 2015 on Commercial, Industrial and Similar Public Shops, and Street Vendors.

The Council approved the aforementioned draft law and decided to refer its recommendations regarding it to the esteemed government.

The Council also discussed a draft law in establishing the investment and trade court.

The draft law has 35 articles that include the formation of the investment and trade court and its primary and appeals departments. The draft law also defines the jurisdiction of the court, including disputes related to commercial contracts, lawsuits arising between merchants and related to their business, disputes related to non-Qatari capital investment in economic activity, disputes related to the operations of banks, insurance companies, financing and investment companies, bankruptcy disputes, bankruptcy preventive conciliation, patent disputes, protection of competition, prevention of monopolistic practices, combating practices harmful to national products in international trade, disputes related to e-commerce and its transactions, and disputes related to partnership contracts between the government and private sectors.

After discussion, the Council decided to refer the draft law to the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee to submit a report on it to the Council.

At the end of the session, the Council reviewed the supplementary report of the Public Services and Utilities Committee on a draft law on regulating health care services in Qatar.

After extensive discussion of the report, the Council decided to approve the draft law and refer its recommendations in this regard to the esteemed government.

The draft law on health care services in the country has 47 articles and 6 chapters and stipulates the provision of health care services to citizens in government health facilities free of charge.

Under the draft law, the Ministry of Public Health will set standards for the provision of health care services in government and private health facilities as well as compulsory health insurance and supervision. It will also provide an integrated, high-quality, efficient and sustainable health system and work on developing and maintaining compulsory health insurance.

According to the draft law, health insurance is mandatory to ensure the provision of basic health care services to expatriates and visitors to the country. The issuance or renewal of an entry visa for an expatriate or visitor, and granting or renewal of a residence permit, as well as employment of expatriates are only permitted after submitting proof they hold compulsory health insurance for the duration of the stay.

The draft law provides for the provision of health care services to beneficiaries in emergency situations without requiring them to pay any amounts until the danger is overcome even if the service provider is not within the network of health care service providers to the beneficiary, and that this does not prejudice the right of the health care service provider to refer to a company insurance, or the employer or the person, as the case may be, to pay the cost of this service.

The draft law defines the rights and duties of patients that must be observed when receiving health care services and the obligations of the parties to the insurance contract and providers of health care services, as well as the penalties for violators of its provisions.