‘Grant allowances to Kuwaiti preachers, Imams, Muezzins’
KUWAIT CITY, Jan 23: MPs Osama Al-Shaheen, Abdulaziz Al-Saqaabi, Hamad Al-Matar, Badr Al-Dahoum and Fayez Al-Jomhour submitted a bill on granting allowances to Kuwaiti preachers, Imams and Muezzins in a parliamentary attempt to encourage Kuwaiti graduates from the College of Islamic Sharia and Islamic Studies to take such jobs and increase the number of citizens engaged in these jobs.
According to the bill; Imams, preachers and Muezzins with a Doctor of Philosophy degree will receive higher qualification allowance of KD 450 per month while those holding a master’s degree will receive KD 200.
The bill states that first degree Imams, Muezzins and preacher instructors with at least 17 years experience will receive KD 750 job grade allowance, KD 550 motivation allowance, and KD 300 allowance for lectures and preaching activities. Those with at least 13 years experience will receive KD 650 job grade allowance, KD 500 motivation allowance, and KD 270 allowance for lectures and preaching activities. Those who are highly qualified with minimum experience of nine years will receive KD 600 job grade allowance, KD 450 motivation allowance, and KD 250 allowance for lectures and preaching activities. A highly qualified Imam with at least two years experience will receive KD 500 job grade allowance, KD 350 motivation allowance, and KD 200 allowance for lectures and preaching activities. A highly qualified junior Imam who passed the appointment exam will get KD 450 job grade allowance, KD 300 motivation allowance, and KD175 allowance for lectures and preaching activities.
In another development, MP Badr Al-Humaidi stressed that the cooperation of MPs with the incoming government depends on how the latter will work with the National Assembly in enforcing laws which are considered priorities for citizens.
MP Musaed Al-Ardi addressed interim Minister of Health Dr Basel Al-Sabah saying, “You are wrong if you think that dodging the parliamentary sessions will keep you and the interim Prime Minister away from questioning.”
He criticized the decisions of the interim health minister to reduce the number of Kuwaitis allowed to return home while allowing expatriate workers to enter the country. He pointed out that if the interim health minister remains a part of the next government, it means the message was not delivered.
Responsible
MP Muhammad Al-Mutair stressed that HH the interim Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid and Speaker of the Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanim are both responsible for the current situation. He claimed the interim government appointed the Speaker, so there has been no cooperation with the interim government and Al-Ghanim. Since the interim government appointed Al-Ghanim, it should obligate him to resign and give way for the legitimate Speaker to head the Assembly, he asserted.
Meanwhile, MP Adnan Abdulsamad forwarded queries to interim Minister of Interior Sheikh Thamer Ali Al-Sabah about the steps taken to solve the Bedouns issue. He wants to know the number of Bedouns who applied for Kuwaiti nationality, those who were granted citizenship, and reasons for not granting nationality to Bedouns who met the conditions specified by the relevant authorities.