KUWAIT CITY, Oct 23: A total of 48 MPs issued a joint statement on the legislative priorities for the parliamentary session scheduled for Oct 31, 2023. These priorities fall under three categories: political, development, and improvement of citizens’ standard of living. The political priorities include amending the regulations on the appointment of senior officials, National Assembly Law, Rehabilitation Law, Elections Law, and constituencies; as well as cancellation of the requirement for international companies to have local agents to participate in public tenders. The development priorities include amending the law on establishing Kuwait Credit Bank (KCB) in order to maintain its financial sustainability, a bill on canceling real estate agencies, the law on establishing the Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT), Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Law, Teaching Profession Law (education development), law on establishing Kuwait International Advanced Industries Company (oil sector), and law on developing healthcare services.

The priorities aimed at raising the standard of living of citizens include increasing the minimum pension, pension in general, social allowance, and public aid; implementation of the strategic alternative to the salary scale; amending Chapter Five of the law on establishing the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) and laws concerning the disabled; and ratifying the bill on compensating the owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for the losses they incurred during the COVID-19 crisis. On the other hand, the Governmental Coordinating Committee has presented the government-legislative priorities for the upcoming session as follows:
■ Imposing a tax on harmful commodities,
■ Imposing tax on companies,
■ Increasing pension,
■ Amending the law on establishing CAPT,
■ Amending the Traffic law,
■ Amending the Penal Code,
■ Financial sustainability of Kuwait Credit Bank,
■ Amending the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority Law. Reliable sources confirmed that the government did not object to any of the priorities specified by the MPs, although its priorities do not include the strategic alternative to the salary scale and social allowance increment.

Meanwhile, MP Khalid Al-Otaibi has submitted a proposal to obligate telecommunications companies to develop a caller identification system; so that the names of legitimate entities like banks and financial institutions appear on the client’s phone when receiving calls from such entities. He suggested assigning the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) to take certain measures to protect the clients and prevent electronic fraud; especially since the number of electronic fraud cases recorded in 2022 reached about 54,000. He said CITRA should investigate fraud committed through the SIM cards issued by telecommunication companies in the country and identify all the involved individuals.

He added that CITRA must submit a report to the concerned minister stating the steps taken in this regard within three months of approving the proposal. Furthermore, National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Sa’adoun had a meeting with the Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to Kuwait Robert Laro. Also, on the sidelines of the 147th Assembly of the International Parliament Union (IPU) being held in Launda, Angola from Oct 22 to 27; Kuwait’s Inter-Parliamentary Group attended the coordinative meeting of the Arab Geopolitical Group. Treasurer of Inter-Parliamentary Group MP Adel Al-Obaid issued a press statement after the meeting, in which he stressed the need for the citizens of various countries to have a strong voice against the Israeli crimes targeting Palestinians in Gaza.

He affirmed that the Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation submitted a proposal to call for an emergency assembly of the IPU to discuss the Israeli attacks on Gaza. He added the Kuwaiti contribution to the IPU Assembly reflects the constant position of its people —to support the Palestinians’ fight for their rights. He hopes the IPU finalizes a decision to impose a ceasefire in Gaza which, he pointed out, the United Nations Security Council has not done until now.