Update sought on demographic issue

Query on commissions paid

MP Muhannad AlSayer has forwarded queries to His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid about the latter’s statement that Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) published on June 3, 2020 regarding the plan of the government to address the demographic imbalance issue in three stages in order to reach the ideal proportion -- 70 percent Kuwaitis and 30 percent expatriates.

He wants to know the measures that the government has taken since HH the Prime Minister issued the press statement one year ago; legal, administrative and technical bases of the press statement; studies carried out by the government in this regard; if the three stages are based on statistics; and period of implementing these three stages.

Meanwhile, MP Hesham AlSaleh asked Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic and Investment Affairs Khalifa Hamada about the number of cases that citizens have filed against the decisions of the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) since January 2019 till date, how many verdicts were in favor of the citizens, and how many of these verdicts have been implemented.

MP Marzouq Al-Khalifa disclosed that Hamada gave unsatisfactory responses to his queries about the deal settled by Wafra Company, which is owned by PIFSS, for the purchase of AlRaya Tower Two. He said the minister concealed some important information and this indicates the deal is suspicious as it is aimed at granting privileges to traders at the expense of the retirees. He intends to submit another set of queries to the minister whom he might grill if he is not satisfied with the answers to the second set of queries.

A police vehicle patrols a tent camp near the Muslim holy city of Makkah, ahead of the upcoming annual Hajj pilgrimage, July 12. The pilgrimage to Makkah required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to make it, used to draw more than 2 million people. But for a second straight year it has been curtailed due to the coronavirus with only vaccinated people in Saudi Arabia able to participate.