PM heads first session of new supreme council
‘No hike in visa renewal fee’
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 12, (Agencies): His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah chaired, at Seif Palace on Tuesday, first session of the premier term of the re-formed Supreme Council for Planning and Development.
His Highness the Premier, at the session onset, congratulated the council members for winning His Highness the Amir’s confidence and praised former members.
He affirmed the council significant role for proposing ideas regarding the aspired sustainable development.
Current period is sensitive due to security and political tensions in the Gulf region, as well as oil prices’ decline along with its impact on the Kuwaiti economy and the region, he pointed out.
The session addressed amendments to the by-laws, which regulate tasks of the council and sub-committees, in addition to the commissions’ formation, stated Minister of Social Affairs, Labor and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sebeeh, in a statement.
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for Economic Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh revealed that the total fees collected from companies due to violations related to national labor rate reached KD 3,457,000 in the first seven months of 2017, reports Al-Qabas daily.
In response to a parliamentary question, the minister insisted that the news about hiking the charges for the renewal of work permits from KD 2 to KD 60 is not true, affirming that the current fees is KD 10.
Al-Sabeeh indicated that the companies that violate the national labor rates will not be allowed to participate for tenders, adding that the licenses for the specified rates are not issued for the violating companies.
When asked about the delay in issuance of a decision concerning the national labor rate until 2017, the minister said the Cabinet is the authority in charge of issuing such decisions.
Chairman of the Board and Director General of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad AlHumoud Al-Sabah took part in the special session on drought, dust and early warning within the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) in Ordos, China.
Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad headed Kuwait’s delegation that included EPA members and Kuwaiti National Committee on Combating Desertification, where he delivered a speech on solutions to limit drought, dust and the dust storms as well as developing strategic plans for such danger, EPA said in a statement.
He also stressed in his speech the importance of the sustainable lands management as an active solution to eliminate drought, dust and sand storms and to focus on the countries’ commitment to the UN’s agreement to combat the desertification and the development goals.