Cabinet prods media on national unity, approves VAT
The Kuwaiti Cabinet yesterday called on local mass media to live up to their due national responsibilities by helping in protecting and safeguarding national unity. The call came during the cabinet’s routine weekly meeting held at Bayan Palace under chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
The cabinet asked mass media to fend off reporting anything that could trigger off tensions or divisions in the society, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said in a statement following the meeting.
However, the cabinet applauded the sincere efforts of the Interior Ministry and its personnel to safeguard national security, safety and stability, along with their security measures nationwide to collar those convicted in the Al-Abdali terror cell, the minister said.
Kuwaiti citizens and residents were also urged to work with the Interior Ministry in its efforts to thwart any bid to undermine the country’s security and stability amid the critical regional circumstances, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah added.
At the onset of the meeting, the cabinet was notified of the delegation that will accompany His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during his official visit to Washington on September 6. The delegation includes Deputy Chief of the Kuwait National Guard Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah AlKhaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah AlSabah, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Anas Al-Saleh, in addition to senior officials of the Amiri Diwan, and other relevant bodies. Security and a media teams are also included.
Then, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah briefed the ministers on the outcome of the recent visit to Kuwait by Minister in Charge of Foreign Affairs in Oman Dr Yusuf Bin Alawi. During the visit, the Omani minister held talks with His Highness the Amir on Kuwait’s mediation efforts to contain and solve the Gulf crisis, besides the latest relevant developments, in addition to bilateral fraternal ties.
Meanwhile, the ministers approved a draft bill, one allowing the government to conduct public loans and financing from the local and the international markets, with the aim of issuing the tools of public after October 2017, the time set by the present law. Another draft bill was also approved on amending Article 29 of the of Law 32 of 1967 regarding the army.
Value Added Tax
Also today, the cabinet gave the thumbs up to draft bills approving the GCC Unified Selective Excise Tax, the GCC unified Value Added Tax (VAT) and the statute of the GCC Economic Judiciary Commission.
The ministers consented draft bills approving a legal and judicial agreement regarding the civil, commercial, personal status and penal articles with Egypt, and protocols for amending two accords to avoid tax evasion and double taxation on income with India and Brunei.
The cabinet also approved a draft bill on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security cooperation with Iraq. All the draft bills approved yesterday have been referred to His Highness the Amir, to find their way later to the National Assembly.
The ministers approved a draft decree on two protocols for amending Articles 50 A and 56 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation signed in October 2016. They also approved other draft decrees on a host of cooperation MoUs and agreements with some world countries.
These include a MoU for cooperation in Islamic affairs with Turkey; an agreement for technical and cultural cooperation with Malta; two MoUs on countering financing of terrorism, and cooperation in higher education and scientific research with Brunei; an economic and technical cooperation agreement with Slovakia; a MoU for cooperation in water management with Hungary; an economic and technical cooperation agreement with Albania’s government; and finally an agreement on air services with Belize. All the draft bills have been referred to His Highness the Amir, to be later sent to the National Assembly. Concluding the weekly routine meeting, the cabinet reviewed the political developments on the Arab and international scenes. —KUNA