Proposed Revisions To Foreigners Residency Law Under Committee’s Microscope

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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 30: The Interior and Defense Affairs Committee on Thursday discussed the government’s bill on amending the Foreigners Residency Law with representatives of the Ministry of Interior.

The Public Funds Protection Committee discussed the reports of the State Audit Bureau (SAB) on the funds that Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) invested from 2018 to 2023. The representatives of the Ministry of Oil, KOC and SAB attended the meeting.

The committee also tackled its task to investigate the issues raised in the grilling motion that MP Dawoud Maarefifiled against former Minister of Public Works Amani Bugamaz. Chairman, members of the Board of Directors, secretary of the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART) and representatives of SAB attended the meeting.

The Business Environment Improvement and Small Enterprises Committee held a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait Banks Union and National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises. The Education, Culture and Guidance Affairs Committee discussed the bills on the establishment of Nawaf Al-Ahmad University for Applied Sciences and Sabah Al-Ahmad University, and transfer the supervision of the Basic Education College from the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) to Abdullah Al Salem University.

This proposal includes restructuring departments in the Basic Education College to match those at Abdullah Al-Salem University and to offer a variety of courses to meet the demands of students and the labor market as one way of addressing the demographic imbalance issue. Present at the meeting were Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research Adel Al-Manea, senior officials at the Ministry of Higher Education, the chairman of PAAET, the chairman of the founding board of Abdullah Al-Salem University and representatives of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). The New and Remote Residential Areas Development Committee talked about its task to follow up the development of infrastructure works in new and remote residential areas.

On the other hand, MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri asked Minister of Health Ahmed Al-Awadhi why his ministry has not taken the necessary procedures to address the financial and administrative violations recorded by the State Audit Bureau (SAB). He said he received several complaints from citizens and employees at the ministry concerning the financial and administrative violations; calling on Al-Awadhi to take action to fulfill his constitutional oath, especially regarding Article 17 of the Constitution, which states the public fund is preserved and every citizen is duty-bound to protect it. MP Mubarak Al-Tasha asked Minister of Commerce and Industry and State Minister for Youth Affairs Muhammad Al-Aiban if it is true that some sports clubs allow male and female athletes, including members of the Kuwait Swimming National Team, to train together in one swimming pool.

If the answer is yes, he wants to know the justification for such practice; which contravenes national customs, traditions, and Islamic rules. He asked if there were regulations prohibiting both genders from using the same swimming pool. MP Fahd Al-Masoud forwarded queries to the health minister, pointing out he raised the same queries for the second time, because the answers he received are unsatisfactory. He asked if the ministry advertised the vacant administrative and financial posts in overseas health offices, the period of publishing the advertisement, procedures adopted to determine the qualified applicants, measures taken to nominate the chairman and members of the permanent delegation of Kuwait to the United Nations in Geneva, and number of patients sent abroad for treatment since Al- Awadhi assumed office including the countries where they were treated. MP Mehalhal Al-Mudhaf forwarded the same queries to all ministers. He wants to know the number of fact-finding committees currently operating including the reasons behind the formation of such committees if any, date of forming every fact-finding committee, number of members and their term, and budget allocated for every committee, and reasons behind the delayed issuance of reports for more one year if any.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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