Kuwaits’ Minister of Public Works Bugamaz hands in resignation

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 29: Minister of Public Works Amani Bugamaz on Sunday submitted her resignation to HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Earlier, MP Jenan Bu Shehri referred to Bugamaz as ‘the minister of Limac and contractors’. In a press statement, she disclosed that the minister did not fulfill her constitutional oath, because she protected the interests of contractors, instead of that of the citizens. Bu Shehri said 167 queries have been forwarded to Bugamaz, including eight questions on Kuwait International Airport and the contracting company Limac.

The minister was asked why the tender was awarded to Limac although it was ranked fifth in terms of the price offer, variation orders, imposing penalties on Limac, and progress of the Terminal Two project. She added that Bugamaz responded to the queries, but the latter asked to keep the answers at the Secretariat General of the National Assembly to prevent the MPs from obtaining copies and to prevent publication on the Assembly website. She argued this should not be the attitude of a Public Works minister, stressing this is the behavior of an employee at Limac keen on protecting the company from parliamentary and public oversight. She accused Bugamaz of hiding the truth to mislead the people, the political leadership, and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. She went on to say that when Bugamaz was asked if the companies nominated to sign contracts for road maintenance have local agents as promised earlier; the minister did not mention Chinese First Way Company, which is connected with the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART) through a contract valued at KD88 million to maintain Damascus Street, the roads in South Surrah, Faisal Road and Fifth Ring Road with the Arab Group as its local agent.

In addition, MP Mubarak Al-Tasha considers the resignation of Bugamaz a way of dodging responsibility. He intends to submit a proposal to form a parliamentary committee to investigate violations at the Ministry of Public Works during the term of Bugamaz. Meanwhile, MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari has confirmed his intention to grill Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah if the latter accredits the credentials of newly appointed American Ambassador to Kuwait Karen Sasahara. He was quick to affirm that he hails the official position of Kuwait towards the Palestinian issue and the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Moreover, MPs Hani Shams and Ahmed Lari submitted a proposal for Kuwait Credit Bank to amend the maximum amount of loan installment to five percent of the borrower’s salary. They explained that the proposal is aimed at alleviating the suffering of borrowers and their families, because of cutting a large percentage of their salaries to pay loans for the repair or construction of their houses. On the other hand, MP Khalid Al-Otaibi asked Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research Adel Al-Manea why the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) delayed filling up vacant college dean positions.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

This news has been read 2344 times!