‘Let SMEs set up shop at borders’

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 11: MP Adel Al- Damkhi has submitted a proposal on granting business opportunities to the owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for them to establish investment outlets at the land borders. MP Marzouq Al-Hebeini has proposed granting teachers a maximum of 10 days off per academic year with full salary, which will be used based on their needs and circumstances. He explained the current regulation mandates the Ministry of Education to specify the dates for the teachers to use their 10 days off in accordance with the academic calendar; hence, some teachers cannot use their 10 days off when needed.

MP Marzouq Al-Hebeini asked Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Jaseem Al-Ostad about the information he obtained that his ministry signed contracts for the recruitment of national and expatriate employees; and number of Kuwaiti employees compared to the expatriates including their qualification, experience, job title and salary.

On the other hand, MP Dawoud Ma’arafi asked State Minister for Communications and Municipal Affairs Ali Al- Shulah about the total number of employees in the two ministries; number of employees who are Kuwaitis, children of Kuwaiti women married to foreigners, Bedouns and expatriates; actual manpower needs; number of Kuwaiti graduates recruited from 2020 till date; number of expatriate and Kuwaiti consultants in the Minister’s Office; and if there are vacant supervisory positions -- whether advertised or not.

MP Hassan Jawhar has forwarded queries to Minister of Finance Fahd Al-Jarallah about the annual report of the government as follows:
■ date of submission of the annual report to the National Assembly;
■ violations committed by companies and individuals in relation to the illegal use of State properties as per Article 19 of law number 105/1980;
■ measures taken against those proven to have committed violations according to Partnership Projects Law number 116/ 2014;
■ if the Ministry of Finance informed other ministries and public institutions about the violations related to the illegal use of public properties including real estate, commercial, industrial and craft plots;
■ opinion of the ministry about decree number 105/1980 on the collection of rent for public properties; ■ annual revenues of ministries, public institutions, subsidiaries and independent institutions from fiscal 2010/2011 till date;
■ update regarding the bill on amending State Properties decree number 105/1980 in order to increase revenues;
■ Rationale behind drafting another bill on the establishment of a public authority to manage investments on State properties as stated in the government program for the years 2023 to 2027.

Furthermore, Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Sa’adoun sent a cable to Chairperson of the National Assembly of Bulgaria Rosen Zhelyazkov to express condolences on the victims of the floods due to the heavy rains that hit the southern coast of Bulgaria causing damages, deaths and injuries. By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff