Parliament approves budget panel’s report on Roads and Land Transport

Projects returned to Amiri Diwan

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim

Arab Times Staff

KUWAIT CITY, May 16: The Parliament, in its regular session Wednesday, approved the report of the Budgets and Final Accounts Committee on the draft laws adopting the final account of the Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport for fiscal 2016/2017 and linking the authority’s budget for fiscal 2018/2019, in addition to the reports of two supervisory bodies.

The Parliament endorsed the committee’s report on the adoption of estimates of capital expenditures and purchase of non-current assets stipulated in the draft law linking the budgets of ministries and government departments for fiscal 2018/2019.

It also approved the report of the State Audit Bureau (SAB) on rejected tenders which were approved by the Council of Ministers later.

On the other hand, the Parliament agreed on returning the Justice Palace and Martyrs Park projects to the Amiri Diwan, promising that these will be the last two projects to be implemented by the Diwan.

Minister of Finance Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf thanked the committee for adopting a method of approving the construction projects before the budget.

On the assets of the State, the minister said the committee reviewed these important files. “We have so far covered assets valued at KD 700 million. We cannot deal with all the accumulated assets now, since some have been existing since 1993.”

Decree

He pointed out the budget preparation decree was issued 40 years ago, so a new government draft law will be presented to the Parliament at the beginning of the next legislative term.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim thanked the committee headed by MP Adnan Abdul-Samad and the staff for their efforts in preparing the budgets of government agencies.

The Speaker adjourned the session until May 28, adding that there will be four sessions during the Holy Month of Ramadan — May 28, 29, 30 and 31.

Al Qabas adds, the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Culture and Guidance has forwarded a letter to the National Assembly requesting to be assigned with investigation of the widespread exam malpractices in public schools, colleges and other higher education institutes.

The committee also requested to study the decision of the Minister of Education and Higher Education concerning a condition stipulating that foreign scholarship applicants should obtain IELTS, in addition to the decisions of Civil Service Commission regarding the approval of admission for citizens who intend to study abroad.

Meanwhile, a source anticipated a letter from the Parliamentary Priorities Committee concerning requests for discussion could create a legal argument during the National Assembly session.

He said the lawmakers regarded the action of the committee as an infringement on the right of a lawmaker to request for accelerated deliberation of certain issues during sessions.