Kuwait MPs eye AI authority
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KUWAIT CITY, Dec 24: MPs Dawoud Maarefi, Abdullah Fehad, Hassan Jawhar, Fahd Al-Masoud, and Badr Al-Mulla have submitted a bill on the establishment of the Public Authority for Artificial Intelligence (PAAI) – a legal entity under the supervision of the minister that will be specified by the Council of Ministers. The tasks of PAAI include dealing with issues related to the organization and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), drafting and submitting the required legislation and regulations, taking measures to organize the digitalization of public institutions to help the government in the provision of efficient digitalized governance, protect official data, enhance the innovation of AI, transform Kuwait into a leading State in the AI field, prepare and conduct training programs, attract global researchers take part in AI development in Kuwait, provide consultation services for public institutions, and raise public awareness about the importance of developing and investing in AI.
PAAI shall be managed by a board of directors that will be appointed by the Council of Ministers according to the nomination of the concerned minister. The Board of Directors shall consist of the representatives of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Higher Education. These representatives must occupy at least the assistant undersecretary position. The board shall also include the representatives of the National Cybersecurity Center and Artificial Intelligence Community, in addition to three AI experts.
The board shall be granted all the powers to lay down the State’s AI strategy, follow up the execution of this, lay down plans and programs for AI development, lay down governance strategies, and issue licenses for individuals and entities to manage AI establishments according to the criteria and conditions in this regard. The board should hold regular meetings – at least six meetings per year. PAAI should have an independent budget that starts at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Its revenues shall be handed over to the public treasury except the amount specified to be kept in its custody as per the request of the concerned minister. This amount must not exceed 10 percent of the total revenues and it should be used as the reserve fund of PAAI. Once the reserve fund amount equals the capital of PAAI, all its revenues must be handed over to the public treasury. The chief executive officer (CEO) of PAAI must be appointed with the undersecretary job degree according to the decision of the Council of Ministers. PAAI must submit a report to the Council of Ministers in the first three months of every fiscal year. The concerned minister should issue the executive regulations for this bill within one year of its ratification.
MPs Muhannad Al-Sayer, Abdullah Al-Mudhaf, Abdulaziz Al-Saqaabi, Hassan Jawhar and Mubarak Al-Tasha have submitted a proposal to amend the Judiciary Law to organize the litigation works related to judges or public prosecutors. According to the bill, the convicted individuals have the right to complain against the judge or public prosecutor in case the latter commits a mistake or cheats during trial. The complaint must be submitted within 60 days after the issuance of the verdict or once the concerned convict discovers the error. The complaint should be submitted to the concerned court, which then decides to hear or dismiss the case. If the complaint is proven correct, the erring judge or public prosecutor is referred to the concerned institution for disciplinary action. The State shall pay the compensation for the complainant, and then take the amount from the erring judge or public prosecutor. The maximum compensation is KD3,000. If the complaint is dismissed, the amount that the complainant paid to proceed with the hearing is non-refundable. The final verdict issued by the Court of Cassation is not subject to the aforementioned regulations. The bill also stipulates the establishment of minor courts in the governorates as per the decision of the First Instance Court chairperson. A minor court is chaired by one judge and such court is established based on the needs of the governorates.
The General Assembly of the First Instance Court shall specify one or more courts at the Capital Governorate to handle the lawsuits of government or public institutions. The bill states that judges and public prosecutors are prohibited from doing the following: engaging in commercial activities while doing their judicial jobs, giving political opinions, getting involved with political blocs, running for elections as long as they are working in the judiciary, and participate in political meetings or gatherings. Judges in the same court must not be related until the fourth degree and the public prosecutor must not handle any case involving relatives up to the fourth degree. The bill states that a judge or public prosecutor cannot be arrested or investigated unless he is caught red-handed or as per the decision of the Supreme Judiciary Council based on the request of the Public Prosecution. In case a judge or public prosecutor is arrested red-handed, the prosecutor in charge of investigations must inform the Supreme Judiciary Council within 24 hours of the arrest.
Only the Supreme Judiciary Council has the authority to issue a decision to detain, extend the detention, or release the erring judge or public prosecutor as per the Procedures and Trials Law. On the other hand, Chairman of the Parliamentary Financial and Economic Affairs Committee MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri has confirmed the committee’s approval of the bills on increasing the cost of living allowance of citizens and granting zero-interest loans to retirees. He added these bills were included in the agenda of the session slated for Dec 19, but the session was canceled given the death of HH the late Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. He said these bills might be included in the agenda of the upcoming session, clarifying the committee does not mind if the cost of living allowance is increased and zero-interest loans are granted to retirees as per the legislation or executive decision in this regard. He stressed that the main goal is to fulfill the demands of citizens.
Rapporteur of the committee MP Dawoud Maarefirevealed certain details about the proposed amendment of Article 112bis of the Public Institution for Social Security PIFSS) Law number 61/1976. He disclosed that the bills include increasing the maximum amount of the zero-interest loans for retirees to be 15 times the pension, instead of seven times. He said the proposed installments for such loans are 10, 15 or 20 percent of the pension; indicating this will be the choice of the borrower. He added that once the borrower pays the loan in full, he has the right to apply for a new loan but the installment will be 25 percent of his pension. He added the other bills are aimed on increasing the cost of living allowance of citizens working in the public and private sectors, as well as those covered by the Fifth Chapter of PIFSS Law from KD130 to KD 250 per month. He affirmed that the committee has referred its reports on these bills to the Assembly.
Moreover, Al-Muwaizri revealed that he obtained the signatures of MPs Abdullah Fehad, Dawoud Maarefiand Khalid Al-Otaibi on the proposal he submitted to hold a session on Jan 7, 2024 to discuss the speech of HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah after taking the constitutional oath, especially his statement about those who conspired to harm the interests of the nation and its people. In a press conference, Al-Muwaizri presented copies of the front pages of some daily newspapers that allegedly attacked the National Assembly when the Amiri speech was released. He claimed the owners of these daily newspapers do not want the Assembly to continue since it goes against their interests. He stressed that he deals with everyone as per the Constitution, which regulates all issues concerning the State.
By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
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