‘Revenue lost in uncollected dues’
‘Rice quota unchanged’
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 28: A recent supervisory report criticized the Ministry of Electricity and Water for its failure in collecting sums owed to it by the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) totaling KD 7.2 million for more than ten years, reports Al-Qabas daily.
According to the report, the debt in exchange for providing operating services and supplying sea water from the Subiya power plant to the water treatment plant of KOC, and the failure to collect it during those years deprived the State Treasury of revenues due in exchange for providing the service.
The ministry concluded two contracts with the company to provide seawater supply services, one in 2011 at a value of KD 3 million, and the other in 2015 at a value of KD 4.2 million. However, it has failed to collect for more than ten years, despite the contract stipulating that it will abide by collection after every three months by sending a notice or a debit entry to the company, which in turn had to record the amount in the ministry’s account and notify it, which did not happen.
The report indicated that the ministry signed the third contract worth KD 5.9 million in March 2021 without obligating KOC to pay the amounts due in the previous two contracts.
The lack of coordination between the finance sectors and the stations regarding the follow-up to sending and collecting bills, as well as not including the account of debts owed to the government, was criticized.
Meanwhile, reliable sources revealed that the Minister of Electricity and Water Dr. Mishan Al-Otaibi will sign in early October a list of 909 employees who have been promoted, after the relevant sector finished listing the beneficiaries, adding that the increment resulting from the promotion will be disbursed with the salary of the same month.
Rice, sugar same: Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Abdullah Al-Salman has postponed the implementation of the decision to reduce the quantity of rice and sugar in the ration card for citizens as discussion on other alternatives is ongoing, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources.
Sources said the Ministry of Commerce officials started coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to look into the possibility of reducing some subsidized food items, especially rice and sugar; indicating the ministry officials seem to be not that enthusiastic as before about taking such a step.
Sources pointed out that although the Commerce Ministry’s move to reduce some food rations is in line with the decision of the Cabinet to assess the supply of basic food items for people with low income and the individual quota for basic foodstuffs in response to the recommendation of the Food Authority to reduce rice and sugar supplies because of their impact on public health, the ministry recently decided to look for alternatives. Sources added the original plan is to reduce the quota of rice from 6.25 kilograms to five kilograms per person, and from two kilograms to one kilogram for sugar.
Cabinet reshuffle: The current government will hold 3 regular meetings before announcing the cabinet reshuffle, which is expected in less than a month to help it effectively participate in the opening session of the second term of the sixteenth legislative term on October 26, reports Al-Anba daily.
Sources told the daily, the HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled will look into and complete several files during the next three meetings, which will be interspersed with field visits to various entities and move forward to the fifth stage. He will also meet with the parliamentarians to create a harmonious atmosphere.
On the other hand, other sources said that the Civil Service Law does not prevent government employees (citizens) working two jobs – working in the private sector in the afternoon with the approval of the concerned minister.
The sources also revealed the Public Institute for Social Security Law does not prevent Kuwaiti retirees from working in the private sector.