Kuwaitization panel to chart course – No law needed to introduce VAT: MP

This news has been read 6649 times!

EXPAT HIRES IN GOVERNMENT SECTOR RAISE IRE

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 23: Member of the Kuwaitization and Employment Committee of the National Assembly, MP Khalil Al-Saleh revealed the committee will meet next Monday to chalk out its future strategy. He said the nod from the Parliament to his request to form this committee in itself, is a big plus and a big step forward to activate the parliamentary role in this direction.

Al-Saleh expressed the hope that the government will cooperate with the committee to solve this thorny issue. He pointed out it is time to stop the appointments of expatriates in the government sector once and for all. Saleh explained the committee will work to replace non-Kuwaitis with Kuwaitis until the problem of unemployment is solved.

He added, statistics show a steady increase in the recruitment of expatriates in the government sector. This percentage rose to 30 in 2016 from an increase of 2.5 percent in 2012. Saleh stressed on the need to find employment opportunities for Kuwaitis. He pointed out the reality proves lack of comprehensiveness and efficacy of previous government solutions.

In another development, MP Safa’a Al-Hashem stressed the introduction of Valued Added Tax (VAT) does not require a law because this is part of the work of the executive authority in drawing up this system.

Furthermore, the head of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly MP Al-Humaidi Al-Subaie said the committee will discuss, at its meeting next Monday, the letter from MP Adel Al-Damkhi, referred to the committee by the Parliament on the issue of the MPs imprisoned for ‘storming’ the Parliament. He added a number of MPs, including himself, have expressed their willingness to attend the meeting, including Riyadh Al-Adsani and Omar Al-Tabtabaei.

They will listen to the views and present their report to the Office of the Parliament to take appropriate action based on the report’s conclusion. On the other hand, the Health and Social Affairs and Labor Committee will meet on Sunday, during which two bills on the rights of the patient will be discussed in the presence of the Minister of Health Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah or his representative, in the presence of the President of the Kuwaiti Medical Association.

Meanwhile, MP Nasser Al- Dosari pointed to the failure of the National Assembly to approve the request submitted to form the Bedoun Committee during last Tuesday’s session does not mean abandoning the follow-up on this important file. He believes there is a great injustice done to this segment of the people, and it is unacceptable to restrict them and deprive them of their civil rights. He added he is following up the proposals presented during the previous legislative term with his fellow MPs in the committees of Interior, Defense and Human Rights to support them until they are approved by the National Assembly.

He stressed, that the most important of these proposals is to transfer the subordination of the Central Agency for Remedying the Status of Illegal residents (bedoun) to the Ministry of Interior so that we follow up this agency and correct its work especially after the failure to resolve this file. He said there is also a proposal to deal with the situation of those who hold forged passports, who were forced to buy these passports to obtain end of service benefits and a proposal to naturalize at least 2,000 of the deserving people a year, and other proposals that we have provided to help this segment after years of ignoring them. He said, the solution to this issue needs serious cooperation between the government and the National Assembly. He pointed out, the failure to close this file will have serious consequences for the society in the coming years.

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff

This news has been read 6649 times!