Education ministry told to terminate expats by July
KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has given the Ministry of Education (MoE) until the beginning of July to terminate the contracts of non-Kuwaiti employees included in the 2018-2019 replacement plan, noting that it would cancel their payrolls in the next financial year’s budget.
Expenses cuts
In its recent meeting, the Cabinet stressed that ministers should take all needed measures to activate rationalization plans and cut expenses. The resolution limited ministries’ maximum spending over the next three years to KD 20 billion in the fiscal years 2018-2019 and 20192020, and KD 21 billion for the fiscal year 2020-2021. The Cabinet also listened to detailed explanations presented by the finance minister and his undersecretary on assessing revenues and expenses as well as the measures to be followed to cut expenses.
Roads authority Meanwhile, the road and land transport authority is waiting for CSC’s approval of its new functional structure, well informed sources said. CSC is currently studying all legal and technical aspects so that the new structure can match the authority’s nature of work in the coming period. The authority is expected to have 1,700 employees, the sources added.
Fourth Ring Road Separately, Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Hossam Al-Roumi said the roads and land transport authority has prioritized improving all road networks and infrastructure, including the Fourth Ring Road (Hussein bin Ali Al-Roumi Road) with the aim of increasing their capacity, reduce traffic accidents, improve safety and security, public transport efficiency and environmental quality, besides solving the current traffic congestion problem.
Roumi added that the 17-km long project was offered for international consultancy bureaus to study, design and supervise its construction and maintenance. Roumi said the latest traffic models at Kuwait Municipality were taken into consideration and that all offers made were studied and an international consultant won the tender. He also expected the project to commence in 2020 to be concluded within 24 months.
Roumi said that the Ministry of Public Works had considered developing the Fourth Ring Road into a motorway with a 120 kph speed limit in 2005, but this was rejected by the municipality because of a lack of space and the many entrances and exits to various areas surrounding it. He added that a further meeting held in 2009 ended by adapting the development plan to change the road into an ‘arterial urban highway’ with an 80 kph speed limit.
Israel’s boycott
Kuwait Customs Director Jamal Al-Jallawi said the customs directorate is an official government body concerned with implementing law number 21/1994 pertaining boycotting Israel. Jallawi added that the directorate and all its departments, including the Israel Boycott Bureau, are fully active in monitoring all Israeli products, those of Israeli origin or those carrying Israeli flags, and banning their import in all GCC states. Separately, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Development Hind Al-Sabeeh stressed that implementing national legislations against the Zionist occupation of the Palestinian territories was one of MSAL’s priorities, and stressed that MSAL has full control over various co-ops, clubs and NGOs as per article number 6 of law 24/1962 and law number 21/1964 pertaining boycotting Israel.