Road projects withdrawn for failure to meet schedule

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has withdrawn the Wafra and Bidaa projects from the contractor because of failing to meet the set schedule, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Hossam Al-Roumi said. Responding to an inquiry filed by MP Majed Al-Mutairi in this regard, Roumi said both projects were being executed by the same company and that the withdrawal decision was made due to the contractor’s sluggishness and delay in executing them.

Roumi explained that the contractor had been hired to execute the Bidaa flyover project on Jan 20, 2016 to complete all construction by Feb 18, 2018 (within 730 days), but until March 31, 2017, the contractor had only executed 12.36 percent of project instead of the scheduled rate of 38.7 percent.

The minister added that the same company had been hired to build and maintain roads, bridges, rain and sewer drainage on the road between Mina Abdullah and Wafra on Nov 15, 2015 within 1,095 days to be concluded on Dec 3, 2018, but until March 31, 2017, the company had only finished 8.18 percent of the project. Roumi said that two different companies had been hired to complete the two projects according to plans.

Social services

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) is currently working on preparing an integrated social security network study for citizens through the national social security networks’ committee. In addition to the MSAL, this committee includes other state departments including the Secretariat General of the Supreme Council of Planning and Development, Kuwait Credit Bank, Kuwait Central Statistics Bureau, the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, the Finance Ministry and the Public Authority for Manpower. MSAL intends to scientifically design the network by listing enough data about state-provided social services, their prices as well as other subsidized and free services.

Senior citizens

Separately, MSAL Undersecretary Saad Al-Kharraz stressed that senior citizens’ priority cards have been approved for use in various governmental bodies, and urged these bodies to honor them for the benefit of the elderly. Kharraz sent a letter in this regard to the acting Manpower Authority Director Ahmed Al-Moussa.

Diplomatic missions

Under the auspices of Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Development Hind Al-Sabeeh, the Public Authority for Manpower is scheduled to hold an open meeting this morning with representatives of all diplomatic missions designated to Kuwait.

Democracy Index

According to the 2017 Democracy Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit of The Economist magazine, Kuwait advanced to be ranked 119th worldwide compared to 121st in 2016, which makes Kuwait the top GCC state in democracy, outranking China, Russia and many African countries. Tunisia came first in the Arab world and 69th worldwide, Morocco advanced from 105 to 101 worldwide, Lebanon retreated from the second to the third rank in the Arab world and came 104th worldwide, while Syria tailed the list of 167 countries to be ranked 166.