‘Private sector role crucial’
‘Difficult for govt to run nation alone’
“THERE is an international will to expand the participation of the private sector in economic life and push it to be a true partner in the development plans of governments,” columnist and an economic expert Hamed AlSaif wrote for Annahar daily.
“Likewise there are international conferences to initiate a comprehensive and transparent dialogue between decision-makers in government organizations and authorities and the private sector institutions and organizations to exchange opinions over the requirements of the private sector in terms of the pertinent systems and the required support to enable it to meet the challenges and surround the countries in the Middle East and Africa.
“In this context, most of the World Bank (WB) reports indicate the needs of the private sector in terms of systems and support to be able to provide 40 million jobs over the next ten years and this figure will keep abreast with the increasing number of young people in the demographics of the continuing need for employment opportunities for the implementation of the expansion plans and growth to develop economic policies conducive to growth led by the private sector in various sectors.
“The role of the private sector in replacing governments in the ownership and management of most economic and service sectors in the Middle East and Africa has become an urgent necessity and there is no other choice.
“Consequently, the governments, if they continue to monopolize most of the economy and services, will reach a difficult phase to managing or bear the cost of this without the participation and the private sector and get this sector to shoulder most of these future responsibilities of development and provision of employment opportunities for the new graduates.
“In this connection, we would like to point out that the above is just an obsession at the moment and most of the international gatherings and conferences have urged the states to shift to this significant transition that will be represented by the private sector’s contribution to the development process on scientific and technical basis and keeping in line the system applied by the advanced countries in this connection whose economic affairs and services are managed by the private sector.
“In other words, the role of the state will be confined to the sovereign works, firm control and necessary transparency in terms of applying the laws. Given the above, we wonder, what we have in Kuwait in this respect. As a matter of fact, the reality in Kuwait shows the economy of the country and most of the State-rendered services are managed by the state, since the country depends on a single source of income, the oil.
“In this context, we say even the state development plan in its current form looks like a blunder because the private sector doesn’t have any role in this plan neither in terms of partnership or in management, rather this sector plays only a partial role as a contractor or an agent for international firms which are working in the country against a specific commission.
“Consequently, we suggest that the state must hasten to start serious work and sit together with the private sector to chalk out serious future plans to achieve the targeted real partnership in terms of property and management in cooperation with private the sector to ensure its participation keeping in mind it will bear the future costs and provide job opportunities for the youth sector which currently suffer from unemployment – the unemployment which will aggravate in future if the government still insists to bear alone the costs of the development plan.
“Such being the case, the government must resort to the rational, scientific and rightful thought that may be required to start a serious dialogue with the private sector to get the latter’s involvement in a real partnership in the country’s development based on new scientific basis, but not on the Kuwaiti traditional useless methods, otherwise the state shall face the expected dangerous problems in the future.
“Today, the world will have no choice, but to depend on the private sector and open the country and support the economic freedom to pave the way for reaching the targeted situation capable of dealing with the heavy requirements of the future.
“It is needless to say this request is something important, rightful and imperative in view of its significance for the good of this kind country. We pray to Almighty Allah to help us.”
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“I have mentioned in a previous article that there is a network of pipelines to transport natural gas designed to a link a number of Arab countries,” columnist Ahmad Rashed Al-Arbeed wrote for Al-Qabas daily.
“In this article, I have clarified the global storage of natural gas which is estimated at 170.4 trillion cubic meters, half of which is situated in a geographic circle whose distance, can be covered in just one hour by a plane from Kuwait to the following capitals – Riyadh, Baghdad, Tehran, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat and Manama since Kuwait is situated exactly in the middle of this circle.
“However, in this article, I would like to talk about the Arab Gas Network starting from the Arab Republic of Egypt to Aqaba in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and then to the north to the Egyptian Al-Areesh City and from there direct to Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and from there to the north Syrian cities of Banyas, then Aleppo, Homs and from there to Tripoli of Lebanon.
“Anyway, it was planned that this network, was supposed to reach the Turkish/Syrian borders and end up in the Turkish city of Kalaz and then reconnect Jordanian Al-Rehab City.
“As a matter of fact, this network had started extending its services in 2003 and the total length had reached 750 km with a capacity to carry 10 billion cubic meters of gas per annum, given the fact the states of this network are currently aspiring to have access to the European gas market and enter into the competition there.
“However, entering the European market is not far away because the network needs only an additional extension of 450 km. This network is the biggest of its kind in the Arab world and is capable of expanding through the region.”
“From the time his electoral campaign had launched and throughout his first presidential term, US President Donald Trump, who is now seeking to win the second presidential term, adopted the same political ideology and practices that were adopted by the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in Germany during the 1930s until the end of World War II,” Dr Hassan Abdullah Jowhar wrote for Al-Jarida daily.
“The only difference is that Trump has adopted the economic side of the same coin.
“Similar to how the environment in Europe was suitable for popular racism to flourish and enable Hitler to come to power, the extremist right doctrine represented the locomotive that carried Trump to the White House.
“Germany topped in military power despite the fact that there were other countries with equal military power like Britain, Russia and United States of America. Hitler started his mission by consuming small and weak countries like Poland and Czechoslovakia. He swallowed them in no time, which was proof of his power, while the major countries were content in just watching silently. Some countries approved the Nazi practices, which in turn encouraged Hitler to invade the entire continent of Europe. Eventually, the countries with a history of exchanged enmity such as USA and Russia as well as the remnants of the European armies realized the need to unite in order to stop the Nazis and end the era of global dictatorship. The delay in the decision to unite proved costly for mankind in the form of about one billion individuals who were either killed, wounded or displaced.
“Trump is doing the same but on an economic level. He started his political blackmail and military threat with weak countries like North Korea, Mexico and then Iran while the world stayed submissively silent. This stimulated his appetite to direct his economic weapon at his allies including Japan, Europe and Gulf countries, when he said the friends of America will not last for even few days without the American protection.
“Recently, Trump kicked off his trade war targeting Russia and China. He is aiming to create new enemies to use them as scarecrows. All this is done for one main target, which is collect billions and billions of dollars. He is received with huge applause only within the borders of America.
“However, aggressive strategy might result in a few billions for the United States of America in the short run; but there will be reactions from the affected countries through decisions that might be stronger than those of Trump. These decisions will be based on revenge and aimed to confront the American attitude, resulting in major problems for the international economy that make up the source of life for the American dollar. If the American currency deteriorates, the USA will be the most harmed. Such a situation might encourage competitive countries to impose a new global system away from the one-pole system represented in America, which will decide to either withdraw or set a booby-trap for causing destruction to all including America. This is what the Director of International Monetary Fund Christine Odette said, but in diplomatic language which Trump is perhaps not capable of understanding.”
“I acknowledge my belief in the conspiracy theory, so I am not willing to accept that things happen by accident,” columnist Dr Hesham Al-Diwan wrote for AlShahed daily.
“There are stakeholders involved at all times, and the smart people keep on planning while the other party shows no interest. In this context, we see the Arab countries getting out from one ditch to fall in a bigger trap. They treat a minor wound to suffer a deeper one later. It is true that we are not alone in this dilemma, and it is better to remain under the domination of dictatorial regimes that punish the opposition severely than fall under the control of militant groups whose behavior nobody can predict or control, because such groups have no political programs and are ignorant, backward, and incapable of development.
“Former Speaker of the National Assembly, late Jassem Al-Khorafi (may Allah have mercy on him), said democracy is never free of shortcomings and blunders. Nevertheless, it is always better than undemocratic regimes. This is the type of democracy Al-Khorafi said it’s practiced in Kuwait to some extent, and the generations consider it a gift from God, as they enjoy prosperity, good governance, security, Constitution, Parliament and freedom of speech, besides a wonderful relationship between the people and ruler.
“Furthermore, the people enjoy good relations despite Kuwait constitutes major tribes and different sects. Some or most of the privileges enjoyed by Kuwaitis are not available to many Arab countries. Instigators of the Arab Spring revolution tried to exploit dispute between the Government and Parliament to pull off their evil agenda but their attempt went in vain, while it was accomplished in countries like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.”
“Implementation of the alternative salary strategy is in the interest of the State budget and it promotes fairness among Kuwaiti personnel in government sector – according to a study prepared by a team of experts from all government bodies in 2015 under the supervision of the Civil Service Commission (CSC),” columnist Dr Abdullah Fahad Al-Abdul-Jader wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“As the Parliament prepares to resume officially, the issue about alternative salary strategy is back in the news but it is unfortunate there’s still no proper information about its benefits, let alone the issue being tossed around based on personal and collective pressures from those benefiting from the unjust status quo of the current uneven salary cadre in government sector.
“The alternative salary strategy will benefit the State and its people in various ways. The benefits include achieving control on remuneration in a way that gives the State ability to plan its finances properly. The alternative strategy will put an end to voluntary unemployment and encourage citizens to work in private sectoras long as there is no major difference in their salaries compared to those of their counterparts in government sector. Also, people will be remunerated based on their performance irrespective of which ministry or sector they work.”
“The local scene has been witness to a series of seminars in which numerous lawmakers and political activists have participated in support of those who stormed the National Assembly, including those who were either acquitted or convicted by court. Some of the convicts have since surrendered to the concerned authority to serve various terms, while others opted to seek refuge in exile,” Adel Ibraheem Al-Ibraheem wrote for Al-Anba daily.
“The speakers emphasized the need for blanket amnesty to restore the national harmony in society. Unfortunately, some of them used certain expressions that shouldn’t have been used in seminars organized to seek pardon for the accused. The speakers focused on activation of Article 78 of the Constitution, which stipulates ‘the Amir has the right to issue a decree for amnesty or restrain from doing so, but blanket amnesty can only be issued through the constitutional provision for the offense committed prior to the recommendation of amnesty’.
“In our own viewpoint, the actions of those lawmakers and activists only amount to self-clearance before the convicts and their families. We have the right to ask this question. Is it not better for the activists to abide by the court ruling and encourage the fugitives outside to return home and later discuss the issue of amnesty? How did the lawmakers agree to present a proposed amnesty without any consideration for the judicial verdict?”