The Shoura Council approved the 9th Development Plan in its session Sunday with a margin of just one vote after 75 members voted for the plan while 41 others opposed it. The voting screen remained open about three minutes until council member Majdi Al-Hariri entered and cast the 75th vote. The 9th Development Plan, prepared by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, includes priorities to continue improving citizens' standard of living, develop national manpower, achieve balanced development in different regions, develop the national economic structure and upgrade the competitiveness of national products in national and international markets. The Shoura Council also approved a proposal that follow-up execution reports contain detailed explanations of the execution mechanism's efficiency, attach timetables for achieving goals and provide means to address causes for stalling of projects or inefficiency in executing and achieving objectives. Approval included a provision for executive authorities to revise the capital requirements to ensure provision of basic needs such as land, services, raw materials, human resources and qualified contractors – on condition that they become binding conditions in the next development plan. The council also approved: a requirement to link development plans with the Kingdom's financial status and administrative reform track, revision of the development plan track and its mechanisms during preparation of the 10th Development Plan, formation of committees with government and private-sector representatives to help members of production and services sectors prepare their plans, revision of the subsidies system to boost the production sector's competitiveness and ensure that subsidies reach the deserving categories. The Shoura Council also approved establishment of the Commission for Caring for Small and Medium Enterprises, which will have an independent and legal-entity status in order to be responsible for the sector's affairs, boost its role in the national economy and employment and coordinate with other authorities through the Supreme Economic Council to address overlapping and intersection of functions. The Shoura Council voted down a recommendation, raised by Shoura member Hassan Al-Shihri, which called for establishing a commission for infrastructure and government projects. In another development, the council approved an 11-article draft regulation that specifies penalties for leaking secret documents and information. The council stressed the necessity to expedite issuance of rules, guidelines and regulations recommended by the Ministerial Committee for Administrative Organization because there is a clear link with the draft regulation on penalties for leaking secret documents and information.
