MoCI receives lists of MoI & MoH frontliners eligible for free ration

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Cost of ration reward estimated to be over KD 33mln

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 5: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry received from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Interior lists of names and civil ID numbers of the employees who are entitled to the frontliners reward, which entails disbursement of food ration for a period of six months, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting informed sources. The sources explained that the lists of beneficiaries have 91,500 names including all employees of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health who meet the conditions of the frontliners as per the classification of the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

This classification divides the workers that confronted the COVID-19 pandemic into three categories, placing the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Interior at the forefront. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will be ready to distribute the reward of food ration within the next two weeks, with the prior issuance of an expected ministerial decision regulating the distribution process. Accordingly, the distribution period will extend from September to February 2022.

The distribution process will be using a “name list” that has actually been uploaded to the automated system of the supply distribution points located in the cooperative societies or their main branches. This will facilitate all beneficiaries to collect the reward, regardless of their nationality. At the time of collection, the beneficiary should present their civil ID to the person in charge of distribution in the supply branch that is within the area of the residential address recorded in the card. The sources said eligible residents who are not registered in the ration will have their names added to the system for the reward period of six months. After this period, their names will be automatically deleted.

They stressed that the reward for the frontliners includes only subsidized food, which consists of seven basic food items – rice, sugar, lentils, corn oil, powdered milk, tomato paste, frozen chicken, milk and baby food. The sources estimated the cost of the ration reward would be more than KD 33 million. They indicated that the total cost spent for an individual who meets the conditions of the free ration reward may reach KD 90 during the entire period, ranging from KD 13 to 15 per month.

Meanwhile, an informed source affirmed that the distribution of free supplies will not affect the strategic stock of basic food items, given that a large part of the beneficiaries are individuals registered in the catering system and are paid on a monthly basis. He said the stock for the new beneficiaries for a period of six months will be covered by new applications without any significant impact. It is worth mentioning that the total number of individuals registered on the ration card system exceeds 2.1 million including citizens, their domestic workers, Gulf nationals residing in Kuwait, or those of unspecified nationality who meet the eligibility conditions according to the relevant laws and regulations.

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