(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
DOHA: The wasteful use of electricity and drinking water will soon bear fines of up to QR10000 and up to QR20000 respectively.
The current law for waste of water stipulates a fine of QR4000 and QR1000 after reconciliation.
The cabinet on Wednesday took several important necessary measures to issue a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 26 of 2008 on rationalizing the consumption of electricity and water after reviewing the Advisory Council's recommendation regarding the bill. The amendment aims to address he wasteful use of utilities.
According to the bill automatic keys are to be set up for the external lighting of buildings and facilities according to conditions and specifications established by a decision of the chairman of Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa).
A fine of no more than QR20000 is to be handed to violators of Article 4 Item 1 of the law which prohibits residents of buildings and facilities whether owners or tenants from using drinking water in washing cars and equipment or cleaning courtyards of buildings and facilities through water cannons or other means of direct flow.
Additionally a fine of no more than QR10000 is set to be handed to violators of Article 4 Item 2 and 3 which prohibits leaving lights on in some locations such as walls and exteriors of buildings and public and private facilities from 7am to 4.30pm. The items also prohibit neglecting damaged or broken parts in internal water networks that might cause water leakage after notifying the relevant body to fix the leakage.
The cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani at the Emiri Diwan also took the necessary measures as well to issue a draft law on reconciliation in crimes stipulated in some municipality laws after reviewing the Advisory Council's recommendation about the draft.
According to the bill municipalities and concerned apartments at the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning are entitled to reconcile in crimes stipulated in municipality laws before a final verdict is handed as long as the crime is punishable by a fine or jail time or fine if stipulated that either punishment can be handed. No reconciliation is possible in crimes only punishable by jail time.
Reconciliation in these crimes can be agreed in return of paying quarter the maximum limit of the fine within seven days of handing the fine. After seven days half the maximum limit of the fine must be paid to reconcile.
Reconciliation shall not be ratified until the violator has fixed or removed the violation paid the required fees and returned everything to the way it was before the crime and at his own expenses.
In addition the cabinet took the required measures to ratify a memorandum of understanding between Qatar's Ministry of Energy and Industry and South Korea's Ministry of Science ICT and Future Planning for cooperation in human resources and research in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The meeting also endorsed a draft agreement on legal cooperation between Qatar's Ministry of Justice and Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Justice as well as a draft agreement on air services between the governments of Qatar and Sao Tome and Principe.
Finally the cabinet reviewed and took the necessary decisions about a draft decision by the minister of interior amending some provisions of Decision No. 11 of 2007 that sets the conditions regulations and periods of granting leaves for military personnel at the ministry. It also reviewed a letter by the minister of environment on a draft cabinet decision that regulates fishing ports.