MP warns minister of grilling over delayed road maintenance
KUWAIT: MP Bader Al-Mulla warned yesterday that he will file to grill Minister of Public Works Jenan Boushehri for failing to complete the repairs of roads ahead of the rainy season that is about to begin. The lawmaker said that the minister is so close to the grilling podium especially if the country’s roads were not ready for rains like last year.
Last year, unprecedented heavy rains lashed Kuwait causing heavy damage to roads and infrastructure. The assembly formed a special panel to probe government failure and demanded compensation for citizens.
The lawmaker who grilled the finance minister last term, said he is also monitoring the developments of a refinery project in Vietnam which has sustained heavy losses and in which Kuwait is a major investor. Mulla also held the prime minister responsible, saying he may also grill him over the same issue, adding he will not wait for too long to get the answers for questions he sent over the issue.
The lawmaker said he is also following the multi-billiondollar Clean Fuel project, adding it needs to be closely monitored by the prime minister to find out reasons for the delay of operations. He said he sent questions about reasons for the delay, the cost of extending the advisor’s contract, variation orders and import of fuel, in addition to demands by contractors. Mulla warned that if the council of ministers does not form panels to investigate such issues, he will file to grill the oil minister, adding that he may grill the premier himself.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Maryam Al-Aqeel said that some KD 28 billion have been spent on the development plan in the country between 2010 and 2019 and not KD 37 billion in just five years as has been circulated. In reply to a parliamentary question, the minister said that the KD 37 billion were the sums needed for the first five-year development plan ending 2014 but these amounts were not spent. She said that KD 7.2 billion were spent in the first development plan while in the second plan spending was KD 12.7 billion.