Heritage Village project reflects the execution failure 14 yrs after launch

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About half a billion dinars wasted: Al-Otaibi

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 7: About half a billion dinars has been wasted on the Heritage Village project in Sharq area. Chairman of Municipal Council Eng Osama Al-Otaibi expressed his displeasure over the situation of the village project, which reflects the failure in the execution of the national project 14 years after it was launched.

He explained that the execution of the Heritage Village project is close to completing another decade but it has still not been delivered despite promises made from time to time about the project.

This national development project has now been transformed into a project for displaying concrete structures in a very important and strategic location on the seafront at a total value exceeding KD 500 million. Eng Al-Otaibi appealed to Ministry of Finance and the concerned authorities in the country to put an end to this delay, resolve this file that has cost the state a lot, and bring an end to the dilemma. He stressed that the issue has surpassed monopoly and confiscation of land without any national developmental benefit, adding that the recreational value of this project has been killed.

Eng Al-Otaibi asked the regulatory authorities for this reason behind this dilemma, affirming their role in the project as a whole particularly the governmental performance monitoring body, which has issued several warnings and reports on this subject and demanded cancellation of the contract or settlement of any dispute and compliance with the legal provisions of the project but to no avail.

He said the ball is now in the court of Ministry of Finance aft er which the issue will be raised to the Council of Ministers to decide, adding that the council had previously set a timeframe for the completion of the project but without deciding on any concrete steps.

Eng Al-Otaibi indicated that the company contracted to execute the project has been giving several excuses, leaving the project as it stands now. He said the Municipal Council will have a role to play in this matter and will intervene clearly to reveal the truth in order to ensure preservation of the state funds and lack of monopolization and confiscation of land without any benefit, affirming that the council will hold close meetings with all the parties involved in the project.

Eng Al-Otaibi highlighted a provision in the contract between Ministry of Finance and the project contractor which stipulates a daily fine of KD 1,800 imposed on the contractor if the project is not delivered on the date stipulated in the contract, adding that he wonders whether the ministry has exercised this penalty condition or not.

By Abdulnasser Al-Aslami Al-Seyassah Staff

This news has been read 13081 times!