Doha, January 10 (QNA) - The State of Qatar launched the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3) 2024-2030, which is the final stage on the path to achieving the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030, launched in 2008, and aims to transform Qatar into an advanced state capable of achieving sustainable development and ensuring the continuation of a decent life for its people for generations to come, through four basic pillars that include human, social, economic, and environmental development.

During a press conference on Wednesday, HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi reviewed the results of the Cabinet's discussion of the NDS3 (2024-2030), which aims to continue readiness to face challenges and guide Qatar toward moving to the ranks of developed countries by 2030, achieve sustainable development, and provide a high-quality life for all its people and future generations.

His Excellency indicated that the new strategy would give priority to competitiveness, enhancing innovation, and supporting institutional excellence while achieving a balance between sustainable growth and social cohesion according to national results.

His Excellency pointed out that the State of Qatar is working to accelerate the pace of economic growth at an average annual growth rate of 4 percent until 2030 by expanding gas production and accelerating the growth of activities related to economic diversification, as the economic diversification agenda aims to make Qatar among the top 10 destinations in the world for investors and companies to create specialized economic clusters and to build a vital innovation system that relies on the private sector.

His Excellency added that Qatar would also focus on increasing workforce productivity by 2 percent annually to enhance economic growth and create jobs that require highly experienced skills and higher wages while maintaining a sustainable rate of population growth that does not create challenges to the social structure or infrastructure.

His Excellency explained that one of the significant main elements of the economic development model in the NDS3 is developing the government's role to enable the private sector to lead and drive economic growth and concentrate efforts on highly productive, specialized, and competitive economic clusters instead of developing isolated sectoral policies, in addition to adopting bold and fast reforms in the business environment instead of adopting incremental improvements, as well as encouraging the active participation of leading national companies, as well as the Qatar Investment Authority in developing economic diversification clusters and supporting qualitative innovations that are mainly led by the business sector. 

With regard to financial sustainability, HE Minister of Justice, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi said that the third national development strategy (2024-2030) aims to prepare a framework for medium-term public budgets that are more sustainable and able to handle surprises, where it is financed from diverse and stable revenue sources, in addition to access to a flexible balance sheet characterized by healthy levels of debt, as well as an increased contribution of non-hydrocarbon sectors to government revenues.

His Excellency pointed out that the State of Qatar also seeks to maintain the sustainability of the general budget, reduce the negative effects of economic fluctuations, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending.

To achieve this goal, the State of Qatar has adopted a medium-term budget framework based on programs and will develop the government procurement process and institutionalize harmonization processes between planning and budget preparation processes, in addition to managing the public debt system, including emergency liabilities, to create sufficient financial space that can be resorted to during periods of economic recession.

As the State of Qatar seeks to build a workforce that is ready for the job market and is competitive in light of the changing pace of global markets, Al Mohannadi pointed out that several steps will be implemented that will raise the level of the required workforce, including raising the proportion of skilled workers out of the total workforce to 46 percent by improving the recruitment policy to enhance the ability to attract highly skilled people, applying new methods of work, adopting a new performance management system in civil service institutions, and implementing skills-building programs in government institutions.

Regarding the inclusion of Qatari citizens in future economic sectors, His Excellency said that the strategy aims to employ more than 20 percent of the Qatari workforce in the private and joint sectors by encouraging the private sector to employ Qataris and implementing programs to develop skills in cooperation with the private sector and improving the benefits of higher education and its appeal to Qataris, and modernizing a governance model to align education with the needs of the job market.

To achieve this, Al Mohannadi noted that a better-educated and more motivated competency base will be built through developing the teaching profession journey, reforming the academic supervision model in public and private schools, and developing new curricula. He also pointed out that the new strategy aims to strengthen the family since it is the basic building block of society's strength and stability.

The strategy also affirms the necessity of social and economic integration of the first care category, ensuring that no group of society is left behind. His Excellency added that to build a cohesive society that maintains its authentic values and strong family ties, promote responsible citizenship, and build a harmonious local society to achieve prosperity, the State of Qatar is building and strengthening strong families by expanding family policies that support procreation, supporting the institution of marriage, promoting positive parenting, increasing flexibility in women's work as well as raise the fertility rate to an average of 3 births per woman.

In the same context, HE Minister of Justice, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs affirmed the commitment of the State of Qatar to improving the lives of the most vulnerable groups to ensure that they receive support and opportunities for active participation in society. He explained that the State of Qatar will work through the third national development strategy to unify the service platforms provided to them, launch home social care for the elderly, develop national strategies to prevent domestic violence and expand social centers for people with disabilities.

He added that it is also a priority to increase awareness of and celebrate national identity, enhance the production and consumption of local cultural content, in addition to promoting a culture of responsibility and participation for all segments, including youth, by strengthening the volunteer system and enabling civil society organizations and the private sector to provide social support.

Regarding the State of Qatar's international role, His Excellency affirmed that the country continues to commit to its vital role in the international arena, supporting peace and stability and contributing to the peaceful settlement of conflicts through its approach that emphasizes dialogue and mediation as two basic pillars of conflict resolution.

It also continues to strengthen its initiatives for humanitarian and development aid, including ensuring that it swiftly and efficiently reaches the people who need it most.

The State of Qatar will also continue to strengthen international cooperation and solidarity, expand global partnerships, actively participate in multilateral efforts sponsored by the United Nations and relevant regional organizations, and enhance cooperation and dialogue to confront global challenges.

HE Minister of Justice, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi also stressed the importance of providing high-quality life as an essential factor in enhancing the well-being of the people of the State of Qatar and making it an appealing global destination.

The state of Qatar aspires to achieve global status as a country that provides the best standards of life, especially for families, and this ambition includes major areas such as education, health care, entertainment, culture, environment and public safety. 

In terms of environmental sustainability and to fulfill the commitment outlined in Qatar National Vision 2030 to preserve the environment for future generations, HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi indicated that the new strategy will ensure the efficient management of environmental elements (such as air, water, land, and biodiversity) and their protection.

He affirmed that these ambitious steps align with Qatar's long-term economic agenda, as reducing emissions preserves the competitiveness of its key economic sectors, adopting effective measures to mitigate the impact of climate change, and adapting to it ensures the economy's resilience in the long term.

He added that in this context, Qatar will commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent, rationalizing electricity and water consumption while increasing their production efficiency, encouraging the transition to more sustainable modes of transportation, transitioning to a circular economy, and enhancing environmental awareness in society.

His Excellency explained that Qatar aspires to achieve global leadership in government services and digital governance by developing the design and delivery of services, establishing a center of excellence specialized in service delivery, and enhancing central systems to track and monitor the performance of government services, ensuring a customer satisfaction rate of at least 85 percent.

Regarding digital government, HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs emphasized that the strategy aims to digitize 90 percent of services, focusing on increasing connectivity between systems and improving data exchange between government entities.

He further added that the strategy aims to increase the effectiveness of government policy-making, align and harmonize policies, and enhance accountability within government institutions.

It is noteworthy that since the launch of Qatar National Vision 2030, the country has made significant progress in utilizing returns from its investments in the energy sector to develop world-class infrastructure and institutions.

The first phase of development witnessed developing several key national institutions, including the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Airways, and Qatar Foundation. In the second phase, the country succeeded in developing vital infrastructure necessary for future growth, including ports, airports, the metro, and a modern network of highways.

These investments have proven their resilience in facing various challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and played a fundamental role in the exceptional success Qatar achieved in organizing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. (QNA)