MPs mull traffic issue, warn ministry on prices

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KUWAIT CITY, May 28: The parliamentary Public Utilities Committee discussed Sunday the traffic issue with the government team. Committee member MP Khalil Al-Saleh disclosed that they deliberated on opinions of the ministries of Interior and Public Works about the issue.

He said the committee confirmed the Ministry of Public Works has not been provided with sufficient budget to address the problem. He added the committee will ask the government to set up a company for buses due to the traffic congestion caused by many buses plying through the streets and to lay down clear strategy for eliminating traffic congestion. He also unveiled his plan to submit proposal on the government’s working hours to start from 9:00 am and end at 5:00 pm.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim stressed the need to hold special sessions to complete deliberations on the reports of the Budgets and Final Accounts Committee within the current legislative round. He said he will invite parliamentary members to special sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week and next week in accordance with Article 85 of the Constitution.

He added the current legislative round is expected to end by the middle of Ramadan, although the Parliament Office has yet to set the date. He explained the office had earlier proposed June 15, 2017 as the last day of the current legislative round to finish everything before the last 10 days of Ramadan but nothing has been finalized until now.

In another development, the Human Rights Committee discussed the criteria for granting pardon and alternative punishment with representatives of the ministries of Justice and Interior. Committee Chairman MP Adel Al-Damkhi revealed the committee will submit its report on correctional institutions to the Parliament next week. He said the committee members welcome the idea of imposing alternative punishment, especially for those who committed minor offenses and juveniles, in order to reduce the State’s expenditures on prisoners.

He added the officials have agreed on the need to treat arrested persons humanely in accordance with the law. He disclosed the committee talked about complaints on the way the Immigration Investigation Department deals with members of some communities, particularly in terms of humanitarian measures concerning Syrians such as the issuance of family, extension and visit visas. Furthermore, the Environment Protection Committee finalized talks on the fish kill issue in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Authority for Industry.

Committee Chairman MP Adel Al- Damkhi said the Ministry of Public Works has submitted its written statement about the issue, while the Public Authority for Industry promised to do the same to pave way for completion of the panel’s report by the end of this week. Moreover, MPs Omar Al-Tabtabaei, Khalid Al-Shatti and Safa Al-Hashem presented a proposal to repeal the law on the Public Authority for Printing and Publication of the Holy Quran and Sunnah and their Sciences, such that the authority will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.

They asked the Awqaf and Islamic Affairs minister to form committees and implement the proposal, including identification of assets, funds, obligations and employees Also, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Issah Al-Kandari called on the minister of commerce and industry to be aware that his work is under parliamentary oversight; hence, the need for him to bear his political responsibility to control prices. He urged the minister to refer all those proven to have violated the law to the Public Prosecution; otherwise, he will be held accountable.

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff

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