Awqaf ministry to lay off 2,032 employees in massive budget cut

MPs meet to discuss jailed comrades’ status

KUWAIT: In a bid to lower expenses, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs plans to lay off 2,032 employees working on assignment basis in various sectors, especially in the Quran affairs sector which currently employs 2,390 citizens and expatriates. The ministry’s central assignment committee addressed the Assistant Undersecretary for Quran and Islamic Studies Dr Waleed Al-Shuaib and informed him that the second phase of reduction should include at least 15 percent of assignees and demanded a list of them by December 15, 2017. The committee explained that only ten out of 68 assignees working at Shuaib’s office, 173 out of 1,153 in the Quran affairs department, 133 out of 888 in the Islamic studies department, eight out of 56 at the family development department and 34 out of 225 working at ‘Al-Seraj Al-Muneer’ department will be able to keep their jobs.

Expats replaced

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is currently coordinating with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to replace expatriate social workers with citizens, Undersecretary Dr Hisham Al-Athari said yesterday. In other news, CSC yesterday approved proposed incentives for members of the judiciary and designated public prosecutors assigned by the Supreme Judicial Council to perform extra tasks. Designees in technical offices, those working in Kuwait institute for judicial studies, judicial inspection and judges will receive KD 500-600 monthly. In the meantime, designees in the public debts protection apparatus will receive KD 1,000-1,250 monthly.

Jailed MPs

Several lawmakers met yesterday at MP Mohammad Al-Mutair’s office to discuss the issue of the detainees over charges of breaking into the National Assembly building. Mutair is one of three lawmakers jailed in the case, along with Waleed Al-Tabtabae and Jamaan Al-Harbash. MP Adel AlDamkhi said that the meeting came in consolidation with the detainees and to listen to briefings from the legal team following up the case in courts. He added that another meeting will be held today at MP Tabtabae’s diwan, noting that a message was sent to the speaker asking him and the parliament to act. Damkhi said that another meeting will be held next Monday at MP Harbash’s office to discuss the issue regarding the new cabinet formation. The list of MPs who attended the meeting includes Mohammed Hayef, Thamer AlSuwait, Omar Al-Tabtabae, AlHumaidi Al-Subai’e, Abdul Wahab Al-Babtain, Osama Al-Shaheen, Damkhi, Abdullah Fahhad, Khaled AlOTaibi, Nayef Al-Merdas, Abdul Kareem Al-Kandary and Mohammed Al-Dallal.

Not enough

Environment Public Authority (EPA) Director Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmad AlSabah said that the recently approved authority budget was enough for all the duties and tasks stated in the environment law, but noted that the current budget of KD 25 million will not be enough in the future to perform all EPA duties, and therefore needs to be increased. On a different concern, Sheikh Abdullah stressed that the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) will have to cooperate on protecting fish reserves and national waters.

‘Co-op’ brand

The Union of Consumer Co-operative Societies (UCCS) Secretary Ahmad AlMutairi said that a directive was distributed to various co-ops around Kuwait on providing ‘Co-op’ brand onions to help control onion prices in local markets. Mutairi added that the union has set the price of selling five kilos of Turkish onion to co-ops at KD 0.910, allowing them to sell the same to consumers at a KD 1 price. He added that co-ops wishing to purchase onions will have to request their purchases directly from the union and that they should respect the prices set for sale to consumers. Mutairi urged co-ops to shelf ‘Co-op’ brand products in outstanding places to encourage their sale.

KD 25 million not enough for EPA