‘No playing with oil workers’ privileges’ – Proposals over Al-Zour power plant

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KUWAIT CITY, June 21, (KUNA): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Acting Oil Minister Anas Al-Saleh on Tuesday assured workers in the oil sector that none of their privileges would be jeopardized in any way.

Speaking at a National Assembly session addressing the feasibility of approving the budgets of a number of government ministries and agencies, Al-Saleh said the workers should not worry about some economizing and belt-tightening measures taken by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation since these measures have been effectuated in view of lagging earnings. He said negotiations are ongoing with oil sector unions regarding these measures, and praised the unions’ leaders for suspending their recent call to oil workers and employees for boycotting work and for returning to work.

On a question by a lawmaker regarding training budgets for oil workers and whether they are adhered to or not at this time, the minister said the training budgets were suspended as part of the government’s belt-tightening measures but were re-instated subsequently with a number of apt provisos.

In response to a question by another lawmaker on setting up a bureau to monitor the activities of the Kuwait Investment authority (which is Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, managing body, specializing in local and foreign investment), the minister said the authority is undergoing procedures, including taking into full account any observations by the State Audit Bureau, to ensure proper handling of its investments.

Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) said that it has received proposals from prequalified companies and consortiums for Al- Zour North phase 2 power generation and water desalination project. The consortia which have been qualified to participate in the Request for Proposals phase of the tender are: International Company For Water and Power Projects/Al Mulla Group Holding Company/ Mitsui Co Consortium, Marubeni Corporation/ Fouad Al Ghanim Sons Group of Companies Consortium, Sumitomo Corporation/OSAKA Gas Co/National Industries Group Holding Consortium, the KAPP said in a statement to KUNA.

The Project will be the second phase of the Al- Zour North power generation and water production complex that shall involve design, build, finance, operate and transfer a minimum capacities of 1800 MW and 102 MIGD by the private sector and in accordance with the Law No. 39/2010, its amendments and Law No. 116/2014 (PPP Law), it added.

The Project which plays a vital role in providing and supplying needs of water and electricity to the country, will also connect to the Shared Facilities (common water outfall system, common product water header, etc. Al-Zour 2 also includes the expansion of the main transfer station in order to connect between the project and electricity network facilities as these facilities will be transferred to The Ministry of Water and Electricity after being fully tested and operated, it noted.

Furthermore, the Project aims to accomplish its strategic objectives that include further introduced private-sector practices and capital to sectors traditionally under the control of the public sector and to reduce overall costs to the State of Kuwait for provision of power generation and water production.

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