Journalists in Bahrain will now get financial assistance and interest-free loans under a new scheme.

The scheme — Journalists’ Takaful Fund — launched by the Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA) offers financial assistance to both Bahraini and non-Bahraini members of the BJA in the event of illness, retrenchment, resignation, marriage, etc., in addition to loans without interest.

The association has injected an initial sum of BD3,000 into the BJA Takaful Fund. The BJA members — Bahraini or non-Bahraini — are required to pay up a monthly subscription amount of BD5 or BD60 per annum.

In case, a member wishes to withdraw from the scheme, he or she could refund two-thirds of his or her paid subscription.

Ehab Ahmed, a member of BJA Board of Directors, who supervises the BJA Takaful Fund said that the total number of BJA members has now reached 400, adding that interested journalists may subscribe the fund to benefit from the assistance within 21 days from the date of obtaining the subscription.

shamada@khaleejtimes.com