PM urged to pressure ministers to address sports sector

MP Omar Al-Tabtabaei

KUWAIT CITY, July 29: A number of MPs turned their gaze towards the Ministry of Oil after finding out that parliamentary recommendations and promises are being disregarded while queries are being returned with superficial answers, according to parliamentary sources.Such is the case with MP Omar Al-Tabtabaei who asked HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak to hold responsible all those proven to have neglected their duties in the oil sector.Al-Tabtabaei made the statement in a press conference Sunday at the National Assembly Media Center. He asserted the oil sector is suffering from what he described as “corruption in management.” He also stressed the need to address this issue immediately, considering the oil sector is vital for the well-being of the country. He disclosed that he submitted several parliamentary queries in the past, but unfortunately, he received vague answers or simply “beating around the bush.”He cited a question regarding the employment of a lawyer without any capability test and the response was: “It was based on the borrowed employment system, not standard employment.” He pointed out the concerned department did not comply with the regulation that the position in question must be occupied by a qualified and capable individual who must vacate the post once the ‘borrowing period’ ends.“Regrettably, some people are managing this sector as if it is their own property,” asserted the MP while revealing that he submitted another query about the chief operating officer position at Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) and the person appointed to the post.In another development, MP Abdulla Fahad called on HH the Prime Minister to pressure his ministers to address legal issues in the sports sector. He pointed out the ministers, on numerous occasions, promised to address the issues and lift the suspension on Kuwait’s participation in international sports events, and have claimed that the laws of Kuwait is in accordance with the Olympic charter and international sports organizations “but none of this has been realized.”The MP stressed the importance of quickly implementing the contents of the letter sent by the International Olympic Committee; because the longer this issue remains unsolved, the more opportunities for Kuwaiti athletes are wasted.By Ahmed Al-Naqeeb Arab Times Staff