KUWAIT CITY, July 24 : The Kuwaiti Cabinet has urged concerned bodies to develop its electronic systems and applications to raise their efficiency and protect the state’s digital infrastructure. Chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace Tuesday, the Cabinet watched a presentation by Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Minister of State for Communication Affairs Omar Al-Omar about the recent global IT disruption. Minister Al-Omar assured other Cabinet members that the State of Kuwait dealt immediately with that incident as concerned bodies took some measures topped with opening an operation room, a hotline to receive local complaints and channels for communications with global service providers, Shereeda Abdullah Al-Mousherji, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, said after the meeting.

Al-Omar noted that government applications and electronic systems have not been affected by that global glitch, due to continued efforts made by the government in enhancing its electronic systems and infrastructure. “We are paying much attention to information security and electronic infrastructure protection,” he said. On this regard, the Cabinet highly appreciated the big efforts made by the minister and the staff of Kuwait IT and cyber watchdogs. In addition, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister Interior Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah briefed the ministers about the outcomes of the second international Baghdad conference on combating drugs. The minister further informed the ministers about the gist of his meetings, on the sideline of the conference, with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammad Al-Sudani and some senior officials, on means of enhancing bilateral ties in a manner that serves the supreme interests of the two countries.

Furthermore, Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi apprised the Cabinet off the signing of 63 contracts valued at KD 47 million to purchase medicines and medical supplies. The minister stressed that this comes in line with the ministry’s eagerness to boost the medical sector and ensure the availability of all medicines and medical supplies. The Cabinet watched a presentation by Minister of Finance, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment and Acting Minister of Oil Anwar Al-Mudhaf on the final financial statements of the government financial departments for FY 2023-2024 which posted a deficit of KD 1.56 billion (USD 5.1 billion). The Cabinet stressed the need of boosting cooperation of all the State’s bodies with the Ministry of Finance to stop any waste of public funds and increase nonoil revenues.

The Cabinet approved the drafts regarding the final financial statements of independent and attached institutions for FY 2023-2024, and referred them to His Highness the Amir. Finally, the Cabinet reviewed the expectation pace of the 2024 tourist projects, and thanked the Touristic Enterprises Company for its sincere efforts to develop and implement these projects. The Kuwaiti Government has issued 35 resolutions and instructions since May 19 in line with guidelines by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah that has drawn the task map for the near future.

The Cabinet decisions cover a host of issues at diverse levels including four main files; development, financial and economic reforms, nationality, and combating corruption. At the development level, the Cabinet began with endorsing a draft decree of forming the board of the central apparatus for public tenders, guided by instructions to double efforts, facilitate procedures, and speed up the endorsement of key ventures, as outlined in the government manifesto. The Government has tasked relevant authorities to accelerate establishment and operation of Mubarak Al-Kabir Mina (port), stressed on the necessity of speedy work-out of accords with China, ahead of submission to the ministerial economic affairs commission to prepare a report in this respect.

Moreover, the Cabinet directed relevant apparatuses to speed up the pace of the tasks to accomplish vital ventures namely the railroad in the State of Kuwait, the development of the structural plan of Al-Sulaibikhat port and face lifting the sea-side region in Al-Jahraa. Additionally, it has decided to form a commission to draw up the government task manifesto, and asked it to set priorities and timetables. At the investment level, instructions had been issued to the Public Investment Authority and other concerned authorities to intensify efforts to multiply domestic businesses and create jobs for the youth. As to the citizenship file, it had agreed during consecutive meetings to a number of minutes by the supreme commission for acquiring citizenship, addressing various cases where a number of people had been stripped of their Kuwaiti nationality, lost their citizenship, or obtained it by deception, counterfeiting or other illegal means. While issuing stiff instructions to maintain justice, combat corruption, and bolster the overseeing apparatuses, the Government had taken legal measures to strip farmers who used plots of land for illegal purposes.

Along with the same approach, the Cabinet tasked the ministers, departments’ officials, and government apparatuses to execute recommendations included in the annual report of the government performance followup apparatus for 2023 and submit reports to the apparatus every three months. To stem excessive expenditures, the council of ministers has tasked the Ministry of finance to pinpoint the avenues of funds’ misappropriations, set the measures that need to be taken to tackle it in tandem with the government directions while stressing that it is imperative to coordinate with the Audit Bureau for safeguarding the public funds. In another vein, the Government has asked the Ministry of Health to coordinate with other public departments to carry out the national health survey.

The Government had arranged joint meetings aimed at boosting cooperation among ministries and affiliate entities as part of the approach to accelerate accomplishments and adopt fl exible policies for sake of tangible accomplishments. Furthermore, the Cabinet has adopted the “open door policy,” setting specific hours to receive ordinary citizens and advising officials to communicate closer with the nationals. Among the concrete initial accomplishments was the November declaration about the availability of 15,000 jobs, declaring tenders for road overhaul, speeding up the digital transformation and steps for addressing energy issues and challenges. “There is a huge volume of development enterprises on the path,” declared His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on May 28, affirming the top-level policy to accomplish ventures and put the wheels on the development track to move forward at the highest level of speed as possible. Setting the breadlines of the new policy, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced at an extraordinary Cabinet session on May 15 the kick-off of a new phase of serious and tasks, continuous giving for the homeland and the citizens for which “we have taken the oath to preserve their freedoms, interests and funds.”

The National Assembly in Kuwait is undergoing significant changes. According to a source, the number of employees will be gradually reduced, and both the Abdullah Al-Salem Hall and the members’ building will be closed, adds Al-Qabas daily. The affiliation of the National Assembly has been transferred to the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, a move considered routine according to constitutional provisions for such cases. Some General Secretariat employees are still handling administrative and financial tasks related to terminated services at the Council Channel and the National Assembly News Network “Al-Dustour.” This includes transferring the residencies of expatriate employees to other entities and facilitating the return of Kuwaiti employees to the Ministry of Information. The Al-Majlis Channel building is also expected to be handed over to the Ministry of Information next week. The presence of patrols around the National Assembly building is described as a routine protective measure, also applied to Abdullah Al-Salem Hall, which was closed following an Amiri order(KUNA)