Govt & Assembly blamed for wastage of funds, corruption
‘Medical tourism’ causing massive loss to exchequer: MP
By Abubakar A. Ibrahim
Arab Times Staff
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 12: The executive and legislative authorities must be held responsible for the wastage of public funds and corruption in the overseas treatment sector, MP Rakan Al-Nisf said Wednesday.
The lawmaker was commenting on news published recently about the alleged disbursement of $745 million for overseas treatment without approval of the Finance Ministry. He claimed this happened due to the cowardice of the two authorities.
He pointed out the astronomical figures mentioned in the correspondences between Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh and Health Minister Ali Al-Obeidi undermined efforts to implement economic reforms and financial policies. He stressed that talks on savings which come from increasing the prices of gasoline, electricity and water are nothing but lies that the government intends to use to settle political scores.
He attributed these price hikes to the failure of the government and MPs to combat corruption, particularly the so-called ‘medical tourism’. He added the government, which talks about saving almost a billion Kuwaiti dinars by reducing subsidies, has messed with another political compromise worth billions of Kuwaiti dinars. “Will these absurd developments lead to diversification of national income sources or support for small and medium enterprises
SMEs?” he retorted.
He lamented the government defended its minister during interpellation without taking into consideration that this process led to the discovery of corruption in the Health Ministry, specifically the overseas treatment sector. He said the government did not rectify its mistakes as it opted to take more from the public funds and increase the number of people sent for overseas treatment just to buy the affection of politicians who always put electoral interests above national welfare.
“Today, the government can no longer cover up corruption as the expenses for medical tourism exceeded KD 30 billion. The responsibility now lies on the shoulder of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh
Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah as it already went beyond the health minister, considering the premier has provided his minister with unprecedented protection from parliamentary accountability,” he added.
He went on to say that the premier must refer the health minister to the Ministerial Court since the Finance Ministry has exposed the truth behind the $745 million expenses for overseas treatment. He stressed this exorbitant figure serves as a challenge to ministers – either to win for their economic document by resigning in protest against this absurdity or stop talking about economic reforms and reducing or lifting subsidies.
He explained the level of manipulation and excessive expenditures
revealed by the Ministry of Finance could have been avoided if only the politicians set aside their electoral and personal interests. He said these politicians have opted to be partners of the government in misusing public money.Meanwhile, MP Mohammad Tana praised the Cabinet for approving the executive regulations for the Anti-Corruption Authority Law in the first deliberation. He pointed out this authority is the main institution for combating corruption.
On his supposed intention to grill the minister of Justice, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs over the delayed issuance of the executive regulations, Tana asserted every MP has the right to use this constitutional tool whenever the need arises. Director of Airport Security Department affiliated to Ministry of Interior Brigadier Waleed Al-Saleh stressed the keenness of GCC countries to enhance security coordination in order to confront all types of terrorism, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, October 12 to KUNA, Brigadier Al-Saleh affirmed the importance of advanced training courses to improve skills for confronting terrorism.
He said a training course titled ‘Gulf Security 1’ will be held in Manama next month with the aim of increasing the standard of readiness of different departments of GCC ministries of Interior and enhancing coordination among them.
Brigadier Al-Saleh stressed that the training course will also promote the need for exchanging experiences and necessary information among the GCC countries in order to help them deal with emergency situations and handle security crises in a proper manner.
He indicated that this training course will send a message to those who are planning to cause harm to GCC countries that their plans will not be fruitful.
Brigadier Al-Saleh revealed that the Kuwaiti team participating in the training course will be supplied with necessary weapons and equipment based on instructions of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and the team will be guided by the Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior Lieutenant General Sulaiman Al-Fahad.
He indicated that the participating team is currently being transferred to the location of the training course.