KUWAIT CITY, April 26: The Parliamentary Committee for Interior and Defense Affairs has agreed to amend law no. 17/1959 related to the residence permits of expatriates and will increase the penalty against infiltrators who enter the country illegally, rapporteur of the committee MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri told Al-Sabah daily.
The committee also agreed to rename the General Department of Immigration as the General Department of Residential Permit during its meeting on Sunday. Moreover, Al-Muwaizri said, the committee approved a proposal on allowing military personnel grow beard without any conditions.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Finance and Economic Affairs MP Dr Yousuf Zalzalah said the government rejected suggestions to grant full salaries as pension to retired military personnel, reports Al-Shahid daily. The committee will discuss the issue next week, besides laws related to social securities, he said, adding “MPs submitted 14 draft bills suggesting articles in the Social Security Law be amended.”
Al-Zalzalah said the committee will discuss amendments proposed to the privatization bill next week.
Furthermore, MP Mubarak Al-Waalan described the privatization law as an attempt to sell Kuwait and divide Kuwaitis into the master and slave categories. He called on the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee to further study the law “as it affects the future of the people of Kuwait,” reports Al-Seyassah daily.
“Privatization will cause social imbalance and it will threaten the jobs of national manpower,” he said, adding the bill is beneficial only to businessmen and traders while thousands of ordinary citizens will pay the price.
In another development, the Cabinet asked authorities responsible for replacing expatriate employees with Kuwaitis to make ideal use of the national manpower and encourage them to look for opportunities in both government and private sectors, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
It also asked to restrict the appointment of non-Kuwaitis in ministries and ‘official circles.’
Sources say ministers and authorities have been told to strictly abide by all laws while bringing expatriate laborers and while dealing with those who are already in the State, in order to improve the image of Kuwait in the field of human rights.
The Cabinet also encouraged the establishment of small-scale industries and projects which will help citizens participate in the local economy and open new fields for work. It also called for allowing women play a greater role in the development of society.