KUWAIT CITY, Feb 3: National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Saadoun has invited the government and MPs to the ordinary parliamentary sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Items in the agenda of these sessions include the reports of the parliamentary Financial and Economic Affairs Committee on amending the law on establishing the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) to increase the maximum amount of zero-interest loans for retirees to 15 times their pension; in addition to increasing the cost of living allowance for public sector workers and nationals working in the private sector from KD120 to KD250 per month.

Other items in the agenda are the government’s proposal to amend the Foreigners Residency Law; as well as the bills on amending Article 80 of the PIFSS Law, particularly the stipulation about the exceptional salaries, amending constituencies and establishing a national company for advanced petrochemical industries.

The MPs will also elect members of some committees to fill up vacancies and discuss 19 incoming letters. Meanwhile, the government will finalize its work program during its meeting on Monday in preparation for submission to the Assembly.

On the other hand, MP Muhammad Hayef has proposed using the yards of schools for the students to perform the Noon Prayer (Al-Dhuhr Prayer) in the second break time. He stressed the importance of encouraging the students to perform the Noon Prayer on time, considering the great benefits of such prayers.

MP Hamad Al-Matar submitted a bill on the establishment of the Students Fund with a capital of KD200 million that will be taken from the National Reserve Fund. The proposed fund will be managed by the Board of Trustees chaired by the Higher Education minister, while the members include four academic staff from Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). The fund will support Kuwaiti students who want to obtain bachelor, master’s and doctorate degrees, but they do not meet the requirements for enrolling in Kuwait University or PAAET. This is in addition to those who want to study on overseas scholarship, but they do not meet the requirements. The financial support shall be in the form of zero interest loans for the beneficiaries. The term of the fund is 10 years that can be renewed as per a decision of the Council of Ministers.

MPs Fahd Al-Masoud, Mubarak Al- Tasha, Hamad Al-Obaid, Ahmed Lari and Muhammad Al- Mahan submitted a bill on obligating foreign companies operating in the country, as well as private companies that were awarded public tenders by Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT), to hire nationals. The Council of Ministers shall specify the jobs and professions covered by this bill, in addition to the fines that will be imposed on companies proven to have committed violations and the method of collecting these fines.

MP Badr Nashmi Al-Anzi submitted a bill on the establishment of a special court to deal with economic and commercial cases. The court shall consist of two sections -- one for criminal cases concerning the economy and commerce chaired by three judges including one counselor and the other shall handle misdemeanor cases chaired by at least one judge. The appeals will be referred to the Court of Appeal tasked to handle commercial and economic cases. This court will be divided into two sections as well -- one for cases in which the amount involved is lower than KD200,000 and the other will handle cases in which the amount involved is KD200,000 or higher. He also proposed the establishment of a special prosecution for these cases. The laws covered by the bill include those on commercial companies, insurance, commercial agencies, banknotes, Central Bank of Kuwait, competitiveness protection, and commercial cheating.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff