KUWAIT CITY, Oct 11: MP Hamad Al- Matar has asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah to verify the information about the arrival of a delegation from Israel to Kuwait on October 3, 2023 and that they were received at the VIP lounge of the Kuwait International Airport.

Meanwhile, MP Fahad Al-Masoud submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister of Finance Fahad Al- Jarallah regarding the amount of grants provided by Kuwait to the sisterly Arab countries in the last ten years, and the percentage of this amount compared to public funds. He also submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister of Information and the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi about the procedures carried out by the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) to deal with any potential cyber crimes such as hacking. He also asked if there was any trouble in updating the defense systems.

Al-Masoud asked why the systems of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry were hacked, unlike the systems of the rest of ministries, and what procedures were taken to restore the data after the hacking incident. He asked the Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi about the criteria adopted to fill the vacant positions of health attaches in the overseas Kuwait health offices, and if advertisements have been published regarding those vacancies. If yes, he wanted a copy of the advertisement and copies of the resumes of the applicants. Al-Masoud asked the Minister of Justice and the State Minister for Housing Affairs Faleh Al-Raqabah about the number of individuals imprisoned for expressing their opinions, and the allegations leveled against each of them.

MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim submitted parliamentary questions to all ministers including His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. He asked about the number of vacant senior positions in each ministry and their subsidiaries from August 1, 2022 till date, as well as the reasons why those positions have not been filled.

The lawmaker wanted to be provided with the names, qualifications, and experiences of the applicants for these vacant senior positions, copies of the results of the tests they underwent as part of the appointment requirements as well as the results of personal interviews. He also wanted to know the number of senior officials appointed, if the terms of any current senior official were renewed as per the Amiri decrees from August 1, 2022 till date, and if any of them were subjected to observations of the Civil Services Commission (CSC). If yes, he wanted copies of those observations and the reasons for overstepping them.

Al-Ghanim also asked for the number of senior officials who resigned or requested to be referred to retirement during the period from August 1, 2022 till date, and the reasons behind their request for retirement or resignation.

In addition, MP Marzouq Al-Hebeini submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister of Public Works Dr. Amani Buqamaz to ask about the number of companies selected to carry out road maintenance operations, the estimated cost of maintenance, and if the offer prices match the estimated cost. Meanwhile, parliament’s Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the bills submitted to ensure the children of Kuwaiti women are granted their civil rights, which include granting them permanent residency and giving them priority, after Kuwaiti citizens, in obtaining jobs in the public sector.

Also, the parliament’s Committee for Environment, Food and Water Security conducted a field visit to Jleeb Al- Shuyoukh along with representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Works, and Kuwaiti Municipality. Chairman of the committee MP Hamad Al-Matar disclosed that the current conditions of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh are environmentally catastrophic. He stressed the need to take the required procedures for developing the area and benefiting from its distinguished geographic location, as it is very close to Kuwait International Airport. Al-Matar affirmed that the committee will continue discussing the issue with the relevant institutions.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff