08/05/2017
08/05/2017
KUWAIT CITY, May 7: The silence of the investors in Amghara has been broken due to the issue of increased rents and lack of infrastructure stipulated by Public Authority for Industry, reports Al-Seyassah daily. The investors explained that Amghara has been the source of their income for a long time. However, they have been issued with citations, which led them to file lawsuits. Their lands have been grabbed and the costs have been increased to up to 800 fils per square meter. The lands are transferred among investors at a high cost whenever electricity is connected for the investors. They urged the concerned ministries to rescue them from this disastrous situation, affirming that the entire place is troubled by certain evil that must be stopped, and thus the concerned authorities should come to their rescue. The investors expressed concern that the place has been lacking necessary infrastructure, sanitation and amenities for almost 26 years, stressing that the situation has become a source of environmental and electrical disasters, as well as serious pollution for the past several years. According to an investor Ali Al-Bloushi, the investors have been spending huge amounts of money to rent power generators since the government did not provide enough electricity. He also complained about lack of infrastructure to ensure equity among the tenants. Al-Bloushi explained that some tenants pay 150 fils per square meter, while some others pay 250 fils for the same size. Some others pay 500 fils, many others 600 fils and the rest 700 fils for a square meter of land. He said, “We are prone to intimidation and are forced to pay the rent when the officials begin to transfer ownership from one investor to another for higher rent within three months. If it rains, even a drizzle, the sewage lines are blocked and we are forced to rent tankers to clear the place”. Another investor Muhanna Al-Mutairi said the investors are fed up of promises, as there are still no services, electricity and water. He complained that the officials, instead of assisting Kuwaitis, wage war against them by causing them trouble through grabbing lands. Al-Mutairi corroborated others by saying the place lacks humanitarian services such as security posts, service centers and even mosques to pray. He stressed that the small structures that are available there were put up by individual efforts of the tenants, adding that they also contribute to renting diesel power generators since the government did not provide sufficient electricity.