KD 4 billion to fund 24 new road projects
Financial affairs committee meets to discuss priorities
KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) intends to offer 24 new road projects for bidding in the coming years, said a statement the ministry issued, without mentioning any further details about the projects except stating that the total cost of the projects would be KD 4 billion. The ministry explained that Kuwait had commenced road projects with a total value of $15.7 billion over the past 10 years including projects worth $3.97 billion in 2016 alone. The statement added that some of the projects signed in 2016 have been delayed. It explained that the largest road projects to be offered for bidding soon involve building South Mutlaa infrastructure and southern and the northern regional roads.
Financial committee
Rapporteur of the parliamentary financial affairs committee MP Saleh Ashour said the committee has already set its priorities for this term. Ashour stressed that the government can resort to national alternatives other than borrowing or seeking funds from international markets to cover the budget deficit. Ashour added that the committee will convene today to discuss priorities before discussing the bills and proposals under study to report on them.
Ashour explained that the committee has a busy agenda including the government’s request to borrow from international markets, the strategic alternative project, leading positions, protecting competence, demographic imbalance, writing off retirees’ loan interest, reducing the age of retirement, establishing shareholding companies for electricity and water desalination, turning Kuwait Airways into a shareholding company, governance in government establishments, the government’s reaction to requesting exceptional pensions for military retirees, increasing children’s allowance to KD 75 and rent allowance to KD 275.
Local products
Kuwait Municipality’s deputy director for projects affairs Nadia Al-Shereeda rejected a proposal made by Kuwait Farmers Association to license a building to market local agricultural products at the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resource’s (PAAAFR) premises in Ardiya. Shereeda explained that a market has already been built in Sulaibiya for fruits and vegetables and services other sub-markets in various governorates. She added that this market already houses units representing all concerned ministries to have more control on products, in addition to a special lab to monitor product quality. She added that building another market would jeopardize the state’s credibility in offering build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects in collaboration with the private sector.