publish time

18/10/2023

author name Arab Times

publish time

18/10/2023

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 18: The head of the joint technical, legal, and financial committee in the Municipal Council Dr. Hassan Kamal says, “The committee completed the discussion on the amended building regulations submitted by the executive agency in the presence of the concerned authorities, which include the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority of Kuwait (CITRA), the Ministry of Health, and Kuwait Municipality.

In a press statement issued after the end of the committee meeting yesterday, Dr. Kamal stressed the importance of making a list of the telecommunications towers, considering the random spread of these towers that are scattered in many locations and on the rooftops of licensed and unlicensed buildings. He revealed that all telecommunications towers installed on the rooftops of houses are unlicensed.

Dr. Kamal explained that the committee focused its discussions on two matters - the first related to the service itself and its necessity, and the second related to setting controls and mechanisms for its publication and distribution in a correct manner that does not result in any health or environmental harm to citizens and residents of the country. Responsible The municipality is responsible for coordinating with CITRA regarding the heights of these towers, their locations, and the distance between them, as well as their aesthetic aspect.

The responsibility of the Ministry of Health with CITRA is limited to ensuring that providing the service to companies will not affect human health. He expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the Ministry of Health in this aspect with the joint committee in responding to correspondence related to the issue. Dr. Kamal highlighted the obligation of CITRA to use modern technologies in the design and manufacture of telecommunications towers, especially after noticing the presence of many of them in inappropriate shapes and in sensitive locations in the country. He stressed the importance of benefiting from the amended regulations in new housing cities and the necessity of specifying locations for telecommunications towers there in coordination with CITRA, PAHW, and Kuwait Municipality to avoid randomness in their distribution.

Regarding the private and model housing regulations, Dr. Kamal revealed that the committee has completed the initial review of the regulations, taking into account the balance between the system of exceptions and violations and the actual need. It will soon be subject to final review and amendments, after which discussions will be held on the schedules for investment housing, commercial and craft uses, and others included in 15 agendas. He explained that the new and amended building regulations will completely eliminate exceptions and violations, and will be applied to everyone without discrimination. It will also eliminate the chaos resulting from investors entering private and model housing areas and turning them into buildings, especially in new housing cities. It will activate the municipality’s supervisory role.

Relevant It is necessary for the relevant authorities in the country, especially the National Assembly and PAHW to participate in setting the controls and conditions for private housing, as they were the cause of the fierce attack launched by the investment and commercial sector on private housing areas due to the long waiting period that the citizens suffer from to obtain a home. If there is a real need to add percentages for commercial and investment uses in private housing in new residential cities, then there is no harm in adding them within the framework of the new building regulations in coordination with PAHW because they will be studied and codified. Also, the supervisory role of the municipality will be activated. Otherwise, it will prevent the existence of a model residential area in Kuwait in the future.

By Inass Awad
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff