MP queries KIA investments
Push on naturalization
KUWAIT CITY, March 11: Head of the National Assembly’s Legal and Legislative Committee MP Mohammed Al-Dalal said Saturday laws related to amnesty, senior positions in government, amendment to the AntiCorruption Authority law, conflict of interest, and pre-trial detention will be tabled during the Parliament’s next meetings.
Describing these laws as important, Al-Dalal indicated the next session of the Parliament is expected to approve them since the reports on many laws have been completed by the respective National Assembly committees following the passage of the amendment to juvenile law and the first deliberation of an amendment to the small scale business law.
Speaking of the amendment to the combating corruption law, Al-Dalal stressed on its significance since both the government and the Parliament have agreed on this issue.
He added, the most important parliamentary proposals in this regard have been presented by a number of MPs, and one of the proposals say the Board of Trustees should be nominated by the government and approved by the National Assembly, as is the case with the Audit Bureau and the National Commission for Human Rights, unlike what is happening now which makes the appointment an inherent right of the government.
In another development, MP Riyadh Al-Adsani has submitted queries to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh on investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA).
Al-Adsani stated the KIA had announced in January 2017 that it will withdraw $35 billion from asset managers from the total assets of $592 billion according to data and figures of Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute (SWFI).
He wants to know if this has been done, and if ‘yes’, he wants the details on the amount that has been withdrawn from the managers.
He has also asked the minister to provide him full details of the KIA plan concerning investment in infrastructure and credit and its data about the approximately $3 billion investments in recent years on infrastructure, ports, airports, etc.
He inquired why the KIA is consolidating its investments in the technology sector as it has now invested in eight technological companies. He has asked the minister to provide him the financial statements of those companies.
Meanwhile, MP Marzouk Al-Halifa has called on the Interior and Defense Committee to speed up the adoption of the law to naturalize of 4,000 bedoun
so that deserving people can see the light of day as soon as possible.
He added the committee is required to accomplish the law that does not require much time. He asserted there are thousands of bedoun who are waiting to be naturalized provided they fulfill the requirements of the law.
He disclosed the Central Agency for Correcting the Status of Illegal Residents in Kuwait meaning bedoun confirmed the presence of 34,000 people under this category who deserved to be naturalized “and from the day this figure was announced we have not see any naturalization of the deserving people but they have been denied of this benefit and continue to suffer in various spheres of life.”
He said he is surprised at the manner the government deals with this humanitarian issue because it shows indifference while giving nationality to the deserving people.