Doha, January 28 (QNA) - New projects to construct 45 schools within the public-private partnership building program were announced on Monday. The approved project system will include design, construction, finance, operation, maintenance of buildings and transfer of ownership of schools. The projects' announcement came during a workshop on build public schools under the public-private partnership system, organized today by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal). The announced projects will be divided into 6 investment packages and be offered to the private sector at successive intervals. The first package consists of 6 to 8 schools to be launched during the first quarter of this year. The workshop is part of the effort of the State to increase the participation of the private sector both locally and globally in the development projects that are being launched under the public-private partnership system, in order to ensure greater participation of the private sector in the promotion of the national economy, and ensure that it is reflected in the level of services provided in the facilities in the State. In his speech at the opening of the workshop, head of the technical committee for the encouragement and participation of the private sector in economic development projects Khamis Al Mohannadi said that HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani decided in 2016 to form a ministerial group to support private sector and encourage partnership between the two sectors, pointing out that a great deal has been made in this area, where in this framework and over the past three or four years QR 26 billion were invested in many sectors such as food security, building and construction, health, education, logistics, tourism and industry. Al Mohannadi described today's initiative as a high quality that seeks to promote public-private partnership, adding it is a real initiative by the Government headed by HE the Prime Minister to launch such projects especially as the Government directed to support the private sector by assigning certain projects to it. Al Mohannadi also noted that today's initiative has another positive and important impact, as it will contribute to attracting global foreign investment to ensure the transfer of knowledge related to such specific projects, appreciating the high turnout by investors to participate in the workshop and stressing that it proves interest in the investment opportunities offered by the State of Qatar, hoping that the workshop will yield its desired objectives and be the start of launching quality projects of this size. The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Ashghal, in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry are implementing projects to build public schools within the public-private partnership building program. The projects include the construction of 45 schools in 6 investment packages to be offered to the private sector at successive intervals, the first package consists of 6 to 8 schools and will be unveiled to the private sector during the first quarter of this year. The approved project system will include the provision of design, construction, finance, operation, maintenance of buildings and transfer of ownership of schools.

In a speech during the workshop, Director of Economic Policy and Research Department at the Ministry of Finance Saud bin Abdullah Al Attiyah said that today's initiative includes the launch of a project to build public schools under the public-private partnership system, adding the State of Qatar represented by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education plans to build 45 schools in the coming years in accordance with the directives of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to ensure that such projects are a partnership between the public and private sectors. Al Attiyah added that the 45 schools will be carried out in 6 investment packages. The first investment package will be 8 schools to be followed by other investment packages until the completion of the project. This system will allow the private sector to provide design, construction, finance and buildings management and maintenance in addition to the transfer of buildings' ownership to the State within 25 years renewable. He pointed out that the schools project was chosen as the first project of public-private partnership in the social infrastructure field. Although many projects have been carried out in partnership between the two sectors, this project is the first public-private partnership project in its global form or according to the best global practices, he said, adding the projects are uncomplicated and the private sector can enter them easily and provide funding and the payments from the government will be guaranteed for 25 years renewable. According to the plan and schedule, the first phase, consisting of 8 schools whose plots of land were allocated, are expected to be offered during the summer of 2021, he said, hoping that the local and international private sector will participate in this project and look for partnerships both locally and globally, on the understanding that there would be a transfer of experience, especially since it is open to all but it would be preferable to have experience in the proposal for the project. Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, the Director of Economic Policy and Research Department said that the initiative is a project to build public schools under the public-private partnership system. The project's cost will be about QR 5 billion to build 45 schools over 3 years. The first package of the project is about QR 1 billion, he pointed out. Al Attiyah pointed out that these types of projects were previously implemented through the tender system as contracting companies build schools to be managed after that. The current system is that the private sector should find an alliance of a group of companies to ensure strategic partnerships that guarantee its ability to provide maintenance, finance and construction for 25 years as a maintenance management for schools and all that the Ministry of Education has to do is to send teachers and students, he said, pointing out that the Ministry of Education in the past was running a set of contracts and now will reduce the burden as it will manage one contract. Highlighting the private sector's advantage of this initiative, he said that the private sector will ensure the construction of schools and will have a contract of maintenance for 25 years, as it builds the school and lease it to the Government and all this brings financial returns for it, contrary to what it was in the past when the State undertook the construction cost. He noted that there are similar initiatives in many areas such as health, logistics and food security, which are under study. (END)
In a speech during the workshop, Director of Economic Policy and Research Department at the Ministry of Finance Saud bin Abdullah Al Attiyah said that today's initiative includes the launch of a project to build public schools under the public-private partnership system, adding the State of Qatar represented by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education plans to build 45 schools in the coming years in accordance with the directives of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to ensure that such projects are a partnership between the public and private sectors. Al Attiyah added that the 45 schools will be carried out in 6 investment packages. The first investment package will be 8 schools to be followed by other investment packages until the completion of the project. This system will allow the private sector to provide design, construction, finance and buildings management and maintenance in addition to the transfer of buildings' ownership to the State within 25 years renewable. He pointed out that the schools project was chosen as the first project of public-private partnership in the social infrastructure field. Although many projects have been carried out in partnership between the two sectors, this project is the first public-private partnership project in its global form or according to the best global practices, he said, adding the projects are uncomplicated and the private sector can enter them easily and provide funding and the payments from the government will be guaranteed for 25 years renewable. According to the plan and schedule, the first phase, consisting of 8 schools whose plots of land were allocated, are expected to be offered during the summer of 2021, he said, hoping that the local and international private sector will participate in this project and look for partnerships both locally and globally, on the understanding that there would be a transfer of experience, especially since it is open to all but it would be preferable to have experience in the proposal for the project. Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, the Director of Economic Policy and Research Department said that the initiative is a project to build public schools under the public-private partnership system. The project's cost will be about QR 5 billion to build 45 schools over 3 years. The first package of the project is about QR 1 billion, he pointed out. Al Attiyah pointed out that these types of projects were previously implemented through the tender system as contracting companies build schools to be managed after that. The current system is that the private sector should find an alliance of a group of companies to ensure strategic partnerships that guarantee its ability to provide maintenance, finance and construction for 25 years as a maintenance management for schools and all that the Ministry of Education has to do is to send teachers and students, he said, pointing out that the Ministry of Education in the past was running a set of contracts and now will reduce the burden as it will manage one contract. Highlighting the private sector's advantage of this initiative, he said that the private sector will ensure the construction of schools and will have a contract of maintenance for 25 years, as it builds the school and lease it to the Government and all this brings financial returns for it, contrary to what it was in the past when the State undertook the construction cost. He noted that there are similar initiatives in many areas such as health, logistics and food security, which are under study. (END)