KUWAIT CITY, Feb 5: The government has allocated KD 251 million to pay the KD 1,000 Amiri grant to all Kuwaitis, Al-Rai daily quoted Assistant Undersecretary for Trade Monitoring and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Abdul-Aziz Al-Khaldi as saying.

He said the ministry distributed 188,805 ration cards for the benefit of 1,557,488 people until Feb 1. Al-Khaldi cautioned citizens against rushing to ration distribution centers, “because the supplies are available in abundance and will be enough for everyone.”

HH the Amir had earlier granted an Amiri grant of KD 1,000 to every Kuwaiti and free ration supplies for a period of 14 months starting from February 2011 as part of celebrations to mark the country’s 50th National Day, 20th Liberation Day and 5th Anniversary of HH the Amir’s ascension to power.
Al-Khaldi said the ministry apprehended some people who were caught selling ration supplies and added that both the buyers and the sellers are liable for punishment. The Ministry of Interior officials have been arresting the culprits and they will be referred to the Public Prosecution after which the government will seize ration cards from them, he noted.

Al-Khaldi said the ministry referred 2,496 violators to the Public Prosecution in 2010, while 140 shops were shut down for three months the same year. He mentioned that the ministry does not face any interference or pressure from any quarters because the minister is decisive with corrupt people.
Meanwhile, the government has no intention to increase the salaries of employees and retirees in the public sector, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily quoting sources.

Sources confirmed the government is satisfied with the existing pay scales, including those that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) intends to approve in its meeting in mid-February for the police, legal staff at the Kuwait Municipality, administrative employees and laboratory staff in the Ministry of Health, support staff at the Ministry of Education, workers in the social care facilities under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Information Ministry workers, administrative staff at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), and employees at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).