Kuwait tackles snags obstructing development: Senior official
KUWAIT: Government departments have tackled 48 percent of obstacles facing development schemes, said the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD) on Thursday, Speaking at a news conference, Dr Khaled Mahdi said 594 hindrances are mentioned in the third follow-up report for the duration (between April and end of December), as part of the 2016-2017 strategy.
Up to 27 percent of the obstacles are of administrative nature and 23 percent related to supervision, said Mahdi. Elaborating, he said overall ventures of the development plan amounted to 282, valued at KD three billion. Up to 48.6 percent of the sum had been spent this is compared to the 13.7 percent of such spending in the same period of time in 2016.
Total strategic projects in the annual plan (2016-2017) reached 35, totally valued at KD 21.4 billion, including KD 2.2 billion earmarked for the current year; allotted for four strategic ventures. There are 11 projects for higher education (KD 2.7 billion), nine for sustainable economy (KD 11.4 billion), eight for infrastructure (KD 5.7 billion) and three for the environment (KD 616 million).
In the category of human and social development, there are 188 ventures for the development (worth KD 877 million), including six related to the demographic and housing status and labor market (KD 463,000).
Mahdi added that there are, in the category of human development, eight for construction development (KD 404 million), 24 in the health sector (KD 162 million), 49 for education and training (KD 250 million).
The plan encompasses 28 ventures for security and justice (KD 37 million), 24 for social care and social development (KD 848,000), 21 for women and youth care and empowerment (KD eight million), 15 for the environment (KD 3.760 million), 13 in the fields of culture, arts and media (KD 10 million). Mahdi added that the total number of economic development enterprises reached 17, including six ones related to government administration, combating corruption, planning and mapping out State policies (KD 1.570 million) and 11 projects in the fields of statistics and data (KD 5.7 million).
For his part, the assistant secretary general for planning and follow-up, Badr Al-Rifaei, said during the news conference that the third follow-up report had been adopted by the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, the Cabinet and was submitted to the National Assembly earlier today.