KUWAIT CITY, Feb 16:  Corruption is prevalent in the Public Authority for Social Security (PASS) due to the absence of strict supervision and failure to implement the law properly, MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said Tuesday. Emphasizing the need to hold the concerned officials responsible for the spread of corruption in the authority, Al-Muwaizri asserted it is not right to allow any form of corruption in this vital institution as it serves a large number of retired citizens. On the soaring prices of commodities in the local market, Al-Muwaizri   urged Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmad Al-Haroun to closely monitor the prices and take serious steps to curb unreasonable price hikes.  He pointed out the government should actively play its consumer protection role to better serve the citizens, especially at this time when they are engulfed in huge debts. 

About the loans purchase proposal, Al-Muwaizri stressed the need to punish those behind this crisis and find the appropriate solutions to ensure justice for all debtors. Al-Muwaizri also called for the issuance of a law to regulate work procedures at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) as it is the basic pillar of the national economy. In the meantime, MP Hussein Mezyed was surprised when the government sought the opinion of the World Bank again on issues related to citizens, such as the proposed salary increment to help them cope with the rising cost of living in the country.  He contended Kuwait has no obligation to enforce the ideas of the World Bank as it has its own institutions in charge of such issues.  He added the government should seriously take into consideration the proposed salary increase.

Also, MP Aseel Al-Awadhi has forwarded several questions to Minister of Interior Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid regarding the entry ban imposed on religious and intellectual personalities.  She asked the minister to clarify the issue and if there is a bylaw that prohibits these personalities from entering the country because such a decision should not be based on personal opinion.  She inquired about the cancellation of the visa issued earlier to Saudi writer Madawi Al-Rushaid and why he was banned from entering the country.  “We want to fight for the right, laws and dignity of the nation,” she asserted, disclosing she has not received any response to her previous queries.