We seek to provide 1mn masks daily in Kuwait, says Al-Jarallah
Company imports new machinery based on int’l specifications
KUWAIT CITY, April 23: General Manager of Kuwait Cotton Products Company Bandar Al-Jarallah assured that his company is able to provide the local market’s need of protective masks, especially as his company recently imported a machine to produce masks based on international specifications with the production of about 300,000 masks each day, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
Al-Jarallah said the company’s ambition is to reach one million masks per day to meet the country’s needs under the current circumstances. He stressed the importance of the state’s tendency to support Kuwaiti industry in various ways. The company was established in 1986 and initially specialized in cotton production. It later added medical production of all kinds, then upgraded in early 90s to the production medical gauze of all kinds (gauze used in all surgical operation or gauze rolls for dispensaries). He stated the company produces about 95 percent of gauzes in their varieties.
He disclosed the company earlier had contracts with the Ministry of Health but it no longer enter into the ministry’s tenders due to its direction in recent years where “lower price is the premium at the expense of quality”.
Unfortunately, local factories cannot compete with the Chinese industry in the current situation, despite the 10 percent support in tenders by the Ministry of Industry, given that the Kuwaiti factory has many obligations.
Support the national
product
He agreed that the state is supposed to support local industry, but it unfortunately gives priority to commercial produce. Later, the company discussed with the state representatives and convinced them that the ministries should rely on Kuwaiti produce by 30 to 50 percent – even if the price of the local produce 10 dinars higher than that of the international produce. It again convinced them that this trend will strongly encourage Kuwaiti industry and create competition among Kuwaiti products. Finally, the Kuwaiti factory will have to adjust its price based on competition, and small industries will automatically switch from weak production to industries the state can depend on in times of crisis.
He declared that supporting Kuwaiti industry will strengthen the national economy. “For example, if I get a tender up to one million dinars, I will buy raw materials and pay the salaries of workers and house rent, and the million circle will rotate within the state. By this, I support the national state security through industry, and the question that presents itself now is: What if navigation and aviation stops because of a future crisis? This situation forces the state to rely on domestic produce; that’s why we need a sovereign decision to support the national product.”
Export outside Kuwait
We export to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and got the distinguished factory award in Kuwait, and again we were among the first five in Kuwait. The Public Authority for Industry evaluates industrial performance and presents this award, he said.
“The huge quantities of masks were imported in the range of one and a half million and we, as a factory, supplied almost 900,000 masks to the Kuwait Finance Company within 48 days at the lowest cost. Unfortunately, no one mentioned our company’s role in this despite the fact that Kuwait’s factories are primarily ready to insure state needs. Earlier, we had three machines producing 100 thousand masks a day, but after the Ministry of Health went to obtain masks from outside Kuwait, we still had one machine that produced 25,000 to 30,000 masks a day,” he added.
Talking about the new machine that was imported to be included in the production line, Al-Jarallah revealed that the machine finally arrived, thanks to God. It is in the frame of installation and will start production at the end of the week. It produces 300,000 masks per day, and this machine has international specifications. Of course, the company’s ambition didn’t stop at that, as we aspire to produce one million masks per day. For this reason, we ill import other machines within 20 days. The mask is used once from 6 to 8 hours.
He noted the product is a threelayer mask and in the middle is a paper filter, while the unit price of the filter is around 100 fils. He said if the layer of the filter is extracted, it will be sold up to 25 fils with profit margin. He concluded, “There is already a purchase activity inside the factory where a huge number of citizens and expatriates go to buy due to the quality of masks we produce at a lower price. We give priority to doctors and medical workers. We also give them for free.”