KPC to transfer expat employees – KNPC takes official steps to sell Shu’aiba Refinery

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KUWAIT CITY, Feb 3:  Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has taken the necessary steps to put the first batch of expatriate marginal employees under contractors and private companies where it owns 75 percent shares, reports Al-Anba daily quoting sources. Sources said KPC has determined 150 jobs occupied by expatriates such as secretaries, correspondents, telephone operators, mandoubs (company representatives), stationary employees, administrative coordinators, telex operators, graphic designers, cleaning labor observers and the like.

Sources explained the transfer is a cost-cutting measure taking into consideration the salaries and privileges granted to these employees such as educational aid, housing allowance, air tickets and medical care. Sources confirmed that KPC had earlier contacted the Legislation and Fatwa Department regarding the need to revise the contracts that will be signed between these expatriate workers, the contractors and private companies where KPC owns 75 percent shares.

Sources added the contracting procedures will be in line with law number 49/2016. According to information that the daily obtained, the number of expatriates in KPC reached 3,107; 2,052 in Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), 699 in Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), 82 in Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), 54 in Kuwait Oil Tankers Company (KOTC), 29 in Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC), 143 in Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), two in Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) and 44 in Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC).

Meanwhile the Vice- Chairman of Shu’aiba Refinery Sale Committee at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) Mohammad Saud Al-Shammari disclosed that Kuwait has taken necessary preliminary official steps toward selling Shu’aiba Refinery through an international bidding to be held in May, 2018, reports Al-Anba daily. Al-Shammari explained that each of units of the refinery will be sold separately.

He noted several companies from Nigeria, India, America and Germany have indicated interest in acquiring those units, noting Sri Lanka and the Philippines had previously indicated desire to acquire the entire refinery as a whole, but later changed their minds before the company decided to put it on an international bid as separate units.

He stressed that KNPC will specify the date of bidding through an advertisement to be published in the local and international newspapers. He indicated the sale process will be carried out openly without any prequalification, affirming the target prices for each of the bids are confidential, thus a bid could be canceled if the target price is not met.

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