Contracts not signed, further delay expected

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: With the upcoming parliamentary term fast approaching, four parliamentary committees held a meeting on Sunday, October 1, 2023. However, the meeting of the parliament’s Committee for Priorities was postponed due to the death of the mother of the Deputy Prime Minister, State Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Essa Al Kandari. During the meeting of the parliament’s Committee for Interior and Defense Affairs, the bill for amending the Amiri Decree No. 17/1959 concerning foreigners' residency was discussed. In the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the committee discussed the bill regarding granting entry visas. Meanwhile, the parliament’s Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs held a meeting in the presence of Deputy National Assembly Speaker MP Mohammad Al-Mutair. During the meeting, they discussed two bills on the Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC), and four bills on the Kuwait Chamber for Commerce and Industry (KCCI). They also discussed the task assigned to the committee to conduct a study on the reasons and consequences of the increase in prices and the growing inflation rates.

The meeting was held in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Khalid Al- Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil and State Minister for Economic and Investment Affairs Saad Al-Barrak, the Minister of Finance Fahad Al-Jarallah, the Minister of Commerce and Industry and State Minister for Youth Affairs Muhammad Al Aiban, and representatives from KAC, KCCI, Kuwait Investment Authority, Secretariat General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development. Furthermore, the parliament’s Committee for Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs held a meeting during which they discussed three bills on amending law No. 61/2006 concerning audiovisual media and three bills on amending law No. 3/2006 concerning press and publishing. The meeting was held in the presence of the Minister of Information and the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi. Also, the parliament’s Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs held a meeting to discuss the bills on the attorney law and court procedures.

Proposal
In another development, MP Abdullah Al-Anbaei submitted a proposal to establish health clubs and natural therapy centers that provide free services to retirees. He also submitted another proposal to establish a consultative council to make use of the retirees’ experiences, suggesting that the members of this consultative council be granted allowance for the meetings that are held. MP Al-Tasha said he wondered about the delay in taking any steps to maintain the roads despite the fact that Dr. Buqamaz has been in office for almost one year. He said, “Even the contracts have not been signed, which means the maintenance process is not going to start soon.”

Meanwhile, in reaction to complaints submitted by many citizens regarding the high charges collected by delivery companies, which in some cases reach 30 percent of the delivered item, MP Osama Al-Shaheen submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister of Commerce and Industry and the State Minister for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Aiban. He asked if the ministry issued any decisions concerning delivery companies and platforms to define a specific charge. If yes, he asked to be provided with copies of such decisions. MP Al-Shaheen asked why the delivery platforms and applications are not included with food delivery companies like Talabat, Carriage, Deliveroo, and Cravez Food in terms of commitment to a charge of 250 fils if delivering within the same area and 500 fils if delivering outside the area. He submitted another proposal for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to determine the maximum amount of annual subscription for delivery platforms and applications at 15 percent of the total amount of the receipt. Al-Shaheen suggested that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issue regulations to impose penalties on delivery platforms that violate the set regulations.

Furthermore, the National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al- Sa’adoun sent a cable to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Numan Kurtulmus to condemn the terrorist attack that took place in Istanbul close to the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior, which resulted in injuries to two policemen. He also wished the victims a speedy recovery In addition, MP Mubarak Al-Tasha said the collision of a truck with the bridge on the Fifth Ring Road opposite to Grand Avenue reflects the growing corruption at the Ministry of Public Works. He asked the Ministry of Public Works Dr. Amani Sulaiman Buqamaz to either submit her resignation or face parliamentary questioning.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff