KUWAIT CITY, Dec 8: MP Saleh Ashour has submitted a bill on amending Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) Law No. 61/1976 in order to cancel the interest on loans granted to retirees as per the fundamentals of the institution, which exclude charging of interest on retirees’ loans. MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari submitted a bill on amending the Public Tenders Law to cancel the local agent requirement. He explained this requirement led to the delayed implementation and disruption of development projects, as well as additional expenses for the State treasury due to variation orders estimated at almost 30 percent of the original cost. He also confirmed that his colleagues – Muhannad Al- Sayer and Hassan Jowhar – signed the bill.

Proposed
MP Osama Al-Shaheen has proposed naming any public facility or main street after the late Muhammad Yousef Al-Adassani in honor of his contributions when he served as National Assembly speaker from 1981 to 1985, Municipal Council chairman from 1964 to 1966, Minister of Planning from 1976 to 1978, and Ambassador of Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Lebanon from 1967 to 1976. On the other hand, MP Faisal Al-Kandari reiterated his call for His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to follow up the medicine shortage issue at the Ministry of Health. He said the citizens are suffering, considering they usually wait for doctors for a long time in public hospitals only to find out that the prescribed medicines are not available once they proceed to the pharmacies; so they have no option but to purchase medicines from private pharmacies. He wondered why Minister of Health Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Adwani tried to justify the shortage of medicines; claiming that medicines are expensive and unavailable, while they are available in private pharmacies. He pointed out that the citizens’ health is important and the budget allocated for the ministry is huge, but nothing is being done due to corruption. He urged His Highness the Prime Minister and his team to visit the warehouses of the ministry to personally look into the problem

Allocated
Meanwhile, MP Khalid Al- Omaira asked First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Khalid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah if land has been allocated for the establishment of a hospital for the military and civilian personnel at the ministry like their counterparts in the Ministry of Defense, if the ministry floated the tender for the design of the hospital, if the project was forwarded to the Central Agency for Public Tenders, steps taken regarding the health insurance of employees and cost of the health insurance. In addition, Minister of Commerce and Industry Mazen Al-Nahed has responded to the query of Al-Omaira about the vacant leadership positions and cancellation of Decision Nos. 294 and 295/2021. Al-Nahed revealed these decisions were cancelled due to the authority granted to the undersecretary to oversee the process of filling up of vacant leadership positions through appointment or delegation. He added all the senior officials, who were appointed or delegated based on the cancelled decisions, will be referred for investigation; and that he will accept the resignation of any of these officials if they do so. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff