No plan to privatize public transportation sector

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KUWAIT CITY, Dec 30: Minister of Finance and acting Minister of State for Economic Affairs Mariam Al-Aqeel denied any intention to privatize the Kuwait Public Transport Company (KPTC), reports Al-Nahar daily. She indicated that the five-year strategy for developing the company amounted to KD 926 thousand and not KD 1.5 million as reported in some media platforms.

In response to a parliamentary question, the minister said the increase in salaries or promotions for employees of the company are linked to the completion of adoption of the development strategy. She affirmed that the number of bus centers and stations invested is 79, with a monthly return of KD 423,000, adding that the company does not have an advantage in the state tenders over other companies.

Regarding the maintenance and transportation contracts, Al-Aqeel said that there are six government agencies that have signed contracts with the company, stating that there is no intention to privatize the public transportation sector. She stressed that the total remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors and the attendance allowance for the committees obtained for the last fiscal year until Dec 31, 2017 amounted to KD 40.9 thousand.

The minister explained, “The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), in coordination with the Kuwait Public Transport Company, the Public Services Committee of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, government agencies and relevant state institutions, is seeking to develop a mechanism to implement the proposal of the Council of Ministers for organizing, establishing and developing bus stations for users of public transportation buses, in an effort to improve the services of the transport sector because it represents a reflection of the cultural face of the country.”

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