‘Municipality working within parameters of a 3-year plan’

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 20, (KUNA): Digitization in Kuwait’s Municipality and other state platforms will contribute immensely to improve Kuwait’s business atmosphere especially in 2020, said Minister of State for Municipality Affairs Waleed Al-Jassem Thursday.

Speaking on the sideline of an event displaying the digitized system to issue construction and building permits, the minister said that digitization was a center policy for the government. He added that the Municipality was working on several fronts to improve and speed up its services in an efficient and adequate manner.

Minister Al-Jassem affirmed it was important to continue efforts to further boost Kuwait’s status in reports issued by the World Bank and other international bodies to refl ect the state’s solemn efforts to attract investments and businesses.

On his part, Director General of the Municipality Ahmad Al-Manfohe revealed that the Municipality had been working within the parameters of a three-year plan to digitize its services, revealing that the contract for the second stage of this plan was signed yesterday.

Kuwait is ranked 68 on a global level in the domain of the speedy issuing of building permits this year, Al-Manfohe said. On the current system of issuing construction and building permits, he indicated that the process linked digitally architectural offices, Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD), and the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) to speed up issuing of building permits.

The initial test of the digitize system will begin in March, Al-Manfohe said, hoping that the Municipal Council will continue efforts to realize this project soon.

Meanwhile, Municipal Council member Humoud Al-Enizi affirmed that the Municipality led the way in digitization within the government sphere. He called on other state entity to hasten its efforts for digitization, saying that it will refl ect positively on Kuwait.