PM vows to keep fighting corruption
HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah said Wednesday the government has paid much attention to fight corruption and restore stolen money. HH the Premier made the statement during his visit to Kuwait University earlier in the day, saying the government has filed a corruption complaint regarding the army fund.
Sheikh Dr Mohammad added the complaint has been presented and its measures are before the court of the ministers. He affirmed a group of nationals have been tasked with filing law cases in some countries to restore stolen money. “The most important matter is not only to punish those who stole money, but also to restore those funds,” HH Sheikh Dr Mohammad affirmed.
HH the Prime Minister reiterated that the message the government is keen to deliver to the public is that “we are serious in fighting corruption and there is none whoever is above the law”. The premier highlighted achieving justice and equality on which the values of Kuwait’s society were built throughout history. Kuwait’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) rose about 17 points, thanks to the efforts of Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha).
HH Sheikh Dr Mohammad said resources could be everlasting when they are better exploited, referring to some countries that could not make use of their resources. The premier went on to say that Acting Director of Kuwait University Dr Mishari Al-Harbi is reviewing all academic certificates from the year 2000 until 2024 that were submitted to official authorities, noting that some of them were approved and were not fake. This is a practical, real and serious act in implementing law and combating administrative corruption, as opposed to financial corruption, HH Sheikh Dr Mohammad noted.
The premier elaborated that administrative corruption has much more harm than financial corruption, as the former creates a great state of unrest. Since the first day in office, the government has been keen on restoring confidence in its institutions and constitution, he said. HH HH Sheikh Dr Mohammad also affirmed that the vision of HH the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah is based on turning Kuwait into a robust economy in parallel with the oil economy and in line with Kuwait’s 2035 vision. He voiced confidence in Kuwaitis to build a new economy based on human resources and innovation and not on oil. HH Sheikh Dr Mohammad said there is a serious desire in regaining the glory of Kuwait, given the country’s potential, such as the distinguished geographical location closer to the centers of economic weight like Iraq, Iran and Gulf states, referring to the “Silk Road” project among GCC members that will be launch toward East Asia and India.
Kuwait seeks to better use its location starting from Kuwait Bay to establish an outstanding logistics center to offer banking and financial services to neighboring countries, in addition to attracting global universities and medical centers to Kuwait, the premier noted. This is the vision of HH the Amir, with which he tasked the government, HH Sheikh Dr Mohammad said. During his state visits to GCC countries, HH the Amir highlighted the economy during his talks, the premier noted.
HH the Prime Minister said the government is considering carrying out the high-speed train project to transport passengers and goods between Riyadh and Kuwait, adding that its cost is reasonable and takes into account environmental safety. HH the Amir’s visit to the Sultanate of Oman witnessed the inauguration of Al-Duqm Refinery, overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, the premier said, noting it is one of the pioneering projects that could be expanded in the future, pointing out that it links Kuwait’s oil exports to the world. HH the Amir also held talks with brothers in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE on enhancing security, political and economic bonds and ties for wider horizons, the premier concluded.
HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad, during his visit to Kuwait University, was accompanied by Minister of Education, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr Adel Al-Adwani and Acting Director of Kuwait University Mishari Al-Harbi, as various departments and facilities were reviewed and briefed about.