KUWAIT CITY, Sept 29: The parliamentary Environment Affairs Committee was supposed to meet on Wednesday to discuss the rising pollution level at Kuwait Bay. However, Committee Chairman MP Hamad Al-Matar adjourned the meeting due to the absence of the concerned ministers; prompting him to conclude that the government is not keen on solving the problem.

Addressing His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid, Al-Matar asserted: “Since you are at Bubiyan Island now, please ask the ministers about the pollution at Kuwait Bay.” Citing a report published by Al-Jarida daily, Al Matar said the government acknowledged the fact that Kuwait Bay is suffering from chemical and bacterial pollution which poisons fish. He revealed that the government shamelessly sued him in the past, just because he announced that Kuwait Bay is polluted. Although he was acquitted, he suffered in court for several months, he added.

The lawmaker said the reports he received showed that 24 milligrams of grease and oil waste per liter were dumped into Kuwait Bay (near Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve). He stressed that the government is not concerned about the environmental issues, which affect the health of citizens and expatriates. He hopes the next government has the ability to deal with serious issues, affirming that the current government will be questioned soon.

MP Hesham Al-Saleh has submitted a proposal to cancel decision number 27/2021 issued by the director general of the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) on the need to obtain approval from the authority for the issuance, renewal and transfer of work permits for Kuwaitis working in the private sector. He pointed out that the decision violates Article 41 of the Constitution: “Every Kuwaiti shall have the right to work and to choose the nature of his occupation. Work is the duty of every citizen. Dignity requires it and the public welfare ordains it. The State shall make work available to citizens and shall see to the equity of its conditions.”

Furthermore, MP Osama Al-Menawer forwarded queries to Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Essa Al-Salman about the action taken against a car company, which published a warning for customers who purchased new cars recently that these cars are for use only in Kuwait and should not be re-exported. The lawmaker asked if there is a law that gives the company the right to threaten customers about taking legal action against them. He wants to know the role of the Competition Protection Agency in dealing with such provocative attitude, if the company has the right to prevent any citizen from importing the car, and if the ministry has guarantees for protecting consumers as stipulation in Competition Protection Law No. 72/2020.

MP Osama Al-Shaheen submitted questions to the same minister about the rental of industrial plots. He asked if some plots in the Free Trade Zone will be rented to other investors to replace the current tenants and if it is true that a company will be granted 16,000 square meters although it did not sign a contract with the Public Authority for Industry. He warned the minister against allocating such land to any company without following the procedures, including ensuring transparency. He pointed out the rental value of the land is estimated at KD8 million and it can be divided intN0o 30 plots for small enterprises. MP Ali Al-Qattan asked Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Nazaha Enhancement Abdullah Al-Rumi about the uncollected judicial fees so far.

He inquired about the plan of the ministry to collect these fees, reasons for not collecting fees specified through court verdicts -- more than KD10 million, if those behind the delay have been punished, if the automated system for processing transactions and linking the ministry to other institutions and ministries has been completed or not, steps taken to launch the electronic archive and send e-messages to notify individuals fined in absentia, reasons behind the delayed construction projects which would have contributed to the reduction of expenses, number of workers entitled to overtime pay in the last three years, and actual need of the ministry in terms of requiring employees to work overtime. MP Hassan Jawhar asked His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid if the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) submitted to the Council of Ministers a study on the rent value of State properties. He said that in the Cabinet meeting held on Aug 16, 2021; a decision was taken to assign PAI to review the current rental fees for State properties. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff