KUWAIT CITY, Dec 14: The National Assembly on Wednesday approved the final accounts of 28 independent institutions and subsidiaries for fiscals 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 with 39 votes in favor, while 12 voted against. The Assembly also approved the final accounts of the State Financial Management Unit for fiscal 2019/2020, as well as that of 10 independent institutions and subsidiaries for fiscals 2011/2012 and 2015/2016. Chairman of the Budgets and Final Accounts Committee MP Adel Al-Damkhi affirmed that most of the reports on the final accounts of various entities were completed through the efforts exerted by his colleagues in the previous Assembly and there has been no need for revisions.

He stressed that the approval of these final accounts does not mean the officials suspected of involvement in anomalies have been exonerated, citing the hospitality case at the Ministry of Interior and the sale of real estate properties owned by the late Chairman of the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) Fahd Al-Rajaan. He added the committee is preparing a new mechanism for discussing the final accounts to become an effective tool for questioning the government, if the need arises. The Assembly approved the proposal to assign the Environment and Food Security Committee to investigate the failure to achieve self-sufficiency through local food production.

Approved
On the other hand, the Assembly unanimously approved the bill on amending Penal Code number 16/1960 in its first reading. The bill stipulates that legal professionals involved in corruption cases should be punished as per the penalties stated in the Penal Code.

Moreover, the Assembly formed fact-finding committees to carry out the following tasks:
■ Investigate the alleged violations in the distribution of industrial plots with MPs Abdullah Al-Mudaf, Abdullah Fehad, Muhannad Al-Sayer, Hamed Al-Bazzali and Marzouq Al-Hebeini as members;
■ Review the Karacal aircraft and Eurofighter contracts with MPs Hamad Al-Medlej, Mehalhal Al-Mudaf, Hamad Al-Matar, Adel Al-Damkhi and Mejed Al-Mutairi as members;
■ Investigate why several non-ranking officers were not allowed to undergo the training course for them to qualify as officers at the Ministry of Defense even if they fulfilled the requirements with MPs Soud Al-Asfour, Hamed Al-Bazzali, Majed Al-Mutairi, Khalil Abul and Khalid Al- Tamar as members.

In addition, MP Mubarak Al-Tasha was elected member of the Human Rights Committee, replacing MP Muhammad Hayef Al-Mutairi who resigned from the committee. Lastly, the Assembly formed the Inter-Parliamentary Union for the 17th parliamentary term with MP Thamer Al-Suwait as Undersecretary; MP Muhammad Al-Mahan as Secretary who got 25 votes compared to 19 votes for MP Hassan Jawhar, MP Hamad Al-Obaid as Treasurer; and MPs Shuaib Shaaban, Al-SaifiMubarak Al Saifiand Khalid Al-Tamar as members of the Executive Committee.

Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al- Saadoun chaired the first meeting of the union. Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al- Abdullah Al-Sabah on Wednesday affirmed necessity of cooperation between the ministry and the National Assembly to ponder any issues. The minister, according to a ministry’s statement, affirmed that such coordination falls within the parliament jurisdictions and is warranted for serving public interests.

He also asserted keenness on cooperation with parliamentary committees in a transparent manner. His remarks came after the parliament approved in today’s session forming a probe panel to examine the contracts of the Caracal and Eurofighter jets and another committee tasked with examining exclusion of some citizens from registration in the final draws of the army officers’ graduation. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff and Agencies