New power tariffs from today for commercial buildings

New power tariffs will be applied starting from today on commercial buildings, the Ministry of Electricity and Water’s (MEW) consumer affairs director Salem AlQassaba said, urging all commercial licensees and store owners to check with the department to pay their dues for the period prior to May 22, 2017. Qassaba added that MEW will launch an awareness campaign today at Al-Hamra Tower to explain the need to pay off old debts to avoid mixing old bills with those calculated according to the new tariff. Qassaba said that the new tariffs would be applied on investment residential buildings from August 22, 2017.

Expat employees

First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled stressed that the total number of cases filed against the ministry since 2013 is 18. Responding to parliamentary inquiries about the total number of expat employees working for the ministry, Sheikh Sabah AlKhaled said it was only five, in addition to 135 laborers, and stressed that his ministry had been substituting expats with citizens for years with a few exceptions when expats’ expertise is needed.

Home-based licenses

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is scheduled to issue a decision organizing the issuance of homebased business licenses this or next week, said informed sources, noting that according to this decision, citizens would be allowed to apply for such licenses to enhance the potentials of families and housewives and allow them to start their own home-based businesses.

9,877 students

The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training’s (PAAET) admission and registry dean Dr Rabah Al-Nejadah said PAAET colleges and institutes would accept 9,877 new students in the coming academic year. Nejadah added that applicants would now be able to upload documents needed for the application to PAAET’s website.