KUWAIT CITY, March 4: The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has yet to collect dues amounting to KD 15.363 million for fiscal 2015/2016, reports Al-Seyassah daily quoting sources. Indicating this is in line with the State of Kuwait’s ongoing efforts for public institutions to collect unpaid dues as one of the ways to address the budget deficit, sources disclosed that accumulated debts constitute a large percentage of the above mentioned amount.

Sources said the public institutions have been warned against slackness in collecting dues, especially those dating back to many years ago, as the act is tantamount to depriving the State treasury of money that rightfully belongs to it.

Sources added the public institutions have been advised to lay down an effective mechanism for collecting this public money, particularly since no one has the right to waste or misuse public funds. Meanwhile, a senior official from the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has said the sector succeeded in curbing the waiting period for housing applicants from 12 years to five years and below, reports Al-Qabas daily.

The source added the waiting period dropped to zero in the last two years, particularly the Wafra expansion project, while the ongoing Mutla’a project may serve applicants who have been waiting since 2009. Also, he expected the applications for 2013 and those of the previous year will be covered next year.

In the meantime, Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC) will sign the final contract of building facilities for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with the Korean based Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company early April at a total cost of $2.931 billion, reports Al-Seyassah daily quoting an informed source. He revealed that the Korean company has already started preparing the engineering and construction plan for the project, which will be part of the gigantic oil projects representing 8 percent of the $8 billion ‘KPRC’ project.

The source explained that Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company won bid for the contract conducted by the Central Tenders Committee (CTC) because it offered the lowest price and the best specifications. He stressed that CTC based its decision on recommendations from two internal committees of Kuwait National Petroleum Company and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, indicating that the reports of both committees were in favor of Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company, especially since the company was found to be clear of violations, restrictions and technical loopholes.

Meanwhile, administrative boards of oil Companies have presented candidates for the position of assistant executive managers, reports Al-Rai daily. According to sources, the candidates from Kuwait Nation Petroleum Company are Abdullah Fahad Al-Ajmi, Khalid Al-Awadi, Farhan Al-Enezi and Badriya Ali and from Petrochemical Industries Company are Ibrahim Al-Musaiter and Hamad Al-Sebaie.

The sources added that the candidates from Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company are Abdullah Malak and Ghadah Al-Amer, and from Kuwait Petroleum Corporation are Shaima Al-Ghanim and Nouri Bin Salama while the candidate from International Petroleum Company is Ghanim Al-Otaibi