Warning on Cabinet – Panel sets priorities
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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 28: MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said the return of State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, who was grilled last Tuesday, is rejected considering a no-confidence motion has been presented against him. He stressed that those who claim to respect the Constitution knows this is unacceptable according to the explanatory note of the Constitution.
He also warned that the future finance minister will be subjected to grilling once value added tax (VAT) is imposed on citizens, revealing three MPs prepared an interpellation motion against Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah but postponed its submission after discussing the grilling requests presented earlier by some MPs.
On another issue, MP Ali Al-Daqbasi rejected what was published on social networking sites with the hashtag ‘indigenous people’ by a number of political bloggers. Al-Daqbasi said, “The racist disposition does not serve our country, ruptures the social fabric and achieves the goal of the enemy that is lying in wait for us. Kuwait’s people abhor such a move, as they always seek for the call to strengthen the spirit of citizenship.”
Meanwhile, five parliamentary committees will meet on Sunday to elect their chairpersons and rapporteurs and set their priorities. These committees include the Budgets and Final Accounts Committee; Education Culture and Guidance Committee; Public Funds Protection Committee; Priorities Committee; and Finance and Economic Affairs Committee. Furthermore, member of Finance and Economic Affairs Committee MP Saleh Ashour confirmed that the committee has laid down its priorities for the current session.
He said the committee will meet on Sunday to consult members regarding its priorities before proceeding to the discussion of draft laws to pave way for preparation of reports in this regard. He added the committee’s legislative priorities include the government’s request for borrowing and financing from international markets, strategic salary scale alternative, leadership jobs, competition, lopsided population structure, cancellation of benefits of loans for retirees, reducing the retirement age, establishment of a joint stock company for the construction of power and water desalination plants, transformation of Kuwait Airways Corporation into a joint stock company, rules of governance in government institutions, government’s response to the law on granting exceptional pension to retired military personnel, and increasing the children allowance to KD 75 and rent allowance to KD 275.
He disclosed the government intends to obtain financing from world markets to cover the budget deficit, pointing out that there are alternatives like the funds of government investment agencies because these investments must be directed to the general budget of the State. “In general, Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is responsible for investments, other entities of government sectors which are not authorized to invest, and surplus from investments that are transferred to the budget,” he explained.
He said the government presented a new vision on the alternative salary scale strategy. “We will discuss this vision in order to know the contents and mechanism for implementation. What is important for us is to unify the salaries of all employees, especially those with the same experience and certificates,” he added. He affirmed that the proposal to increase the children allowance to KD 75 has been included in the agenda of the committee and it will be part of its list of priorities. “However, we are still waiting for the proposal to increase the rent allowance to KD 275 from the parliamentary Housing Affairs Committee once it is formed,” he concluded.
By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff
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