KUWAIT CITY, Jan 7: MP Jamaan Al-Harbash on Tuesday asked his colleagues to conduct a thorough investigation on the Dow Chemical project, especially after the company announced its plan to take legal action against the state-owned Kuwaiti company which, sources say, might be asked to pay a fine of $2.5 billion for pulling out of the deal. Al-Harbash also urged the MPs to look into allegations that some people have earned commissions amounting to $750 million from the deal, conflict of interests, and unfair penalty clause. He also stressed the importance of determining the actual reason behind the decision of the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC) to sign the deal only to withdraw from it later.
Proposing the formation of an investigative committee to look into the alleged violations, Al-Harbash stated “we have to find the truth to take the right decision on the issue. We must identify the people behind the violations and hold them liable for their acts as Kuwait has now become the laughing stock of the whole world due to this deal.” On another development, MP Mohammad Hayef Al-Mutairi commended Turkey and Venezuela for their stand on the Israeli offensive against Gaza, asserting “Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opinion on the issue is not surprising, since Turkey was the last Islamic Caliphate and the secular governments after it have not changed the mindset of the Turkish. Meanwhile, the decision of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to oust the Israeli ambassador has put Arab and Muslim leaders in a complicated situation because the support came from someone outside the Arab and Islamic borders.”
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KUWAIT CITY: MP Abdulaziz Al-Shayji presented 11 parliamentary questions concerning the comprehensive review of traffic situation, issuing of driver’s license and number of registered vehicles to the Interior minister, reports Al-Seyassah daily. Al-Shayji said the government should improve quality of life by offering proper transportation system. He regretted that citizens and expatriates have to spend an average of three to four hours daily commuting in a country of about three million people and said the scenario is adversely affecting individuals, corporate bodies and the entire state economy.
He stated that the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has been coordinating with the government to prepare job descriptions for traffic technical consultants in the Interior Ministry. Al-Shayji said the strategy will be applied in three consecutive stages under the supervision of General Traffic Department. “Based on this, I request the minister to state the duration for implementation of various stages of the strategy and to ascertain readiness of the comprehensive plan. It is important for the minister to answer this and several other related questions for development purpose,” the lawmaker added.
By Abubakar A. Ibrahim
Arab Times Staff