MEW yet to collect bills of many consumers

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 18: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) has yet to collect payments for the accumulated bills of several consumers, including some government institutions, reports Al-Rai daily quoting informed sources from the ministry.

Sources revealed the amount of unpaid bills reached KD 452 million as of March, indicating that the unpaid bills of government institutions totaled KD 163.5 million and KD 222 million for other consumers.

Sources said the ministry has not been receiving the accumulated bill installments from 10,552 consumers for more than three months now, adding that the uncollected amount reached KD 11.275 million.

Sources confirmed that the ministry applied until fiscal 2018/2019 the provisions of Law No. 48/2005 on collecting KD 2,000 from each of the consumers with accumulated bills, although some of these consumers lost their right to benefit from the discount as of fiscal 2007/2008. Sources said the ministry incurred losses amounting to KD 544,000 during fiscals 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 as a result of the discount granted to 272 consumers.

Meanwhile, the current political situation of the National Assembly and the upcoming parliamentary elections, coupled with the formation of new government prevented oil sector from proceeding with the publication of employment adverts by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiary companies, reports

Al-Anba daily.

The daily quoting reliable sources from oil sector said the decision not to publish job adverts for Kuwait Petroleum Corporation was in the interest of its executive management not to engage or rather include oil sector in any political gain or direct any accusations at a later time regarding the recruitment procedures and tests.

The same sources added that oil sector was expecting to disclose the announcement of employing newly graduated engineers in this period, but the current situation prevented this from being achieved. They expected the employment wheel will return to rotation in oil sector, whether for fresh graduates or with experience by next year.